Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quanzhou and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Quanzhou: $815 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Quanzhou
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Quanzhou Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Quanzhou

🇨🇳 China

$815

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quanzhou and in Shanghai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Quanzhou and in Shanghai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $815 in Quanzhou versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Quanzhou $815
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,204 in Quanzhou versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Quanzhou $1,204
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,593 in Quanzhou versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Quanzhou $1,593
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Quanzhou costs roughly 34% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quanzhou 40% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.20 ¥14.69

$4.56 ¥30.47

-51.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.02 ¥201

$30.21 ¥202

-0.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 ¥43.34

$5.25 ¥35.13

23.43%

Cappuccino

$3.26 ¥21.82

$3.28 ¥21.94

-0.61%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 ¥6.40

$0.57 ¥3.84

68.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.36 ¥2.39

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 ¥19.70

$1.23 ¥8.23

139.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.72

$2.27 ¥15.18

-22.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.84 ¥12.30

-21.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ¥5.74

$1.96 ¥13.08

-56.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.23

$1.03 ¥6.87

-9.71%

Eggs

$1.53 ¥10.26

$1.67 ¥11.16

-8.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.68 ¥51.4

$16.96 ¥113

-54.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.30 ¥15.36

$3.19 ¥21.33

-27.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.12 ¥34.24

$12.90 ¥86.3

-60.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.74

$2.24 ¥15.00

-34.82%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.62

$1.66 ¥11.13

-40.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.80

$2.02 ¥13.54

-64.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$1.66 ¥11.08

-34.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 ¥3.11

$0.77 ¥5.17

-40.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 ¥6.99

$0.93 ¥6.21

12.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.16 ¥1.09

$0.63 ¥4.19

-74.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ¥3.18

$0.60 ¥3.99

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 ¥21.07

$3.80 ¥25.44

-17.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$10.87 ¥72.7

-29.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥5.91

$0.82 ¥5.51

7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 ¥9.20

$1.61 ¥10.76

-14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.61 ¥4.11

-49.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.44 ¥157

$29.40 ¥197

-20.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ¥8.18

$2.11 ¥14.11

-42.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.34

$0.43 ¥2.87

-18.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.01 ¥60.2

$9.06 ¥60.6

-0.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.36

$1.33 ¥8.89

-6.02%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$17.6K ¥117.6K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

-7.54%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$15.7K ¥104.9K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-16.12%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$52.8 ¥353

$57.8 ¥387

-8.74%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.95 ¥53.2

$8.09 ¥54.1

-1.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.15 ¥81.2

$10.48 ¥70.0

15.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 ¥364

$65.7 ¥439

-17.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.63 ¥125

$17.82 ¥119

4.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.83 ¥38.95

$8.95 ¥59.9

-34.86%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$514 ¥3,438

$1,414 ¥9,451

-63.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ¥79.0K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-57.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.64 ¥138

$54.0 ¥361

-61.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.07 ¥228

$37.09 ¥248

-8.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ¥620

$74.3 ¥496

24.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ¥645

$106 ¥706

-8.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ¥1,850

$1,055 ¥7,056

-73.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 ¥2,026

$585 ¥3,910

-48.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ¥3,361

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-79.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 ¥2,742

$1,232 ¥8,240

-66.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,004 ¥20.1K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-78.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,008 ¥13.4K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-67.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$829 ¥5,544

$1,711 ¥11.4K

-51.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.15

3.36

-6.25%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Quanzhou: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Quanzhou

$303 37.2%

Shanghai

$585 47% 92.9% $282

Groceries & Markets

Quanzhou

$137 16.8%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 71.7% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Quanzhou

$110 13.5%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 11.1% $12

Eating Out

Quanzhou

$99 12.2%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 6.8% $6.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quanzhou

$73 8.9%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 4.8% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Quanzhou

$66 8.1%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 26.6% $18

Getting Around

Quanzhou

$28 3.4%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 30.5% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $277 in Quanzhou and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 106% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Quanzhou vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $137 vs $235 per month, with Quanzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Quanzhou

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

18:06 6:06 PM

Same time as Quanzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,128,530

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Quanzhou Shanghai 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Quanzhou
Shanghai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Quanzhou vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quanzhou and Shanghai differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($815 vs $1,244 including rent). Quanzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 106% lower in Shanghai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $277 in Quanzhou versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Quanzhou – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $815 per month in Quanzhou versus $1,244 in Shanghai – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $815 in Quanzhou versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quanzhou but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Quanzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Quanzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.