Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $978 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shanghai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quito 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 Quito and in Shanghai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $978 per month in Quito vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Quito $978
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Quito vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Quito $1,586
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $2,194 per month in Quito vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Quito $2,194
Shanghai $2,755

Quito is about 21% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Quito and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Quito 28% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 $6.08

$4.56 ¥30.47

33.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$30.21 ¥202

83.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$5.25 ¥35.13

44.95%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$3.28 ¥21.94

3.66%

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

$1.37 $1.37

$0.57 ¥3.84

140.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.36 ¥2.39

202.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.23 ¥8.23

178.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.27 ¥15.18

166.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.84 ¥12.30

-38.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.96 ¥13.08

-18.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.03 ¥6.87

53.40%

Eggs

$2.12 $2.12

$1.67 ¥11.16

26.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$16.96 ¥113

-61.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.19 ¥21.33

72.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$12.90 ¥86.3

-40.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.24 ¥15.00

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.66 ¥11.13

-28.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.02 ¥13.54

-34.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.66 ¥11.08

-31.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.77 ¥5.17

61.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.93 ¥6.21

9.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.63 ¥4.19

46.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.60 ¥3.99

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.80 ¥25.44

62.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$10.87 ¥72.7

-7.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.82 ¥5.51

92.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.61 ¥10.76

91.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.61 ¥4.11

-40.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

$29.40 ¥197

-27.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.11 ¥14.11

-27.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.43 ¥2.87

246.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.06 ¥60.6

8.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.33 ¥8.89

-39.10%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

11.71%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

49.13%

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

$28.75 $28.75

$57.8 ¥387

-50.27%

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

$17.86 $17.86

$8.09 ¥54.1

120.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 $28.20

$10.48 ¥70.0

169.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 $46.08

$65.7 ¥439

-29.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

$17.82 ¥119

-0.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$8.95 ¥59.9

-29.16%

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

$739 $739

$1,414 ¥9,451

-47.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-68.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 $71.0

$54.0 ¥361

31.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$37.09 ¥248

35.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$74.3 ¥496

53.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$106 ¥706

1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 $491

$1,055 ¥7,056

-53.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 $309

$585 ¥3,910

-47.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-62.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$1,232 ¥8,240

-56.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-87.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-88.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 $594

$1,711 ¥11.4K

-65.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

3.36

201.19%

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

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$309 31.6%

Shanghai

$585 47% 89.3% $276

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.3%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 18.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$154 15.8%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 21% $32

Eating Out

Quito

$151 15.5%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 30% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.7%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 2.1% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 42.3% $25

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.3%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 13.6% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $491 in Quito versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 188% higher in Shanghai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Quito versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Quito vs $235 in Shanghai – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

23:40 11:40 PM

13 h ahead of Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

24,870,895

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Quito Shanghai 15,980 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
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

Quito vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,467 per month in Quito and $1,865 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $739 per month in Quito and $1,414 in Shanghai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quito – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Quito. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.