Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quzhou and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Quzhou: $701 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Quzhou
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Quzhou Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Quzhou

🇨🇳 China

$701

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $701 per month in Quzhou vs $1,256 in Shanghai, rent included.

Quzhou $701
Shanghai $1,256

A couple spends around $1,153 per month in Quzhou vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Quzhou $1,153
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $1,606 per month in Quzhou vs $2,743 in Shanghai, rent included.

Quzhou $1,606
Shanghai $2,743

Quzhou is about 44% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Quzhou and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Quzhou 48% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.77 ¥18.49

$4.45 ¥29.78

-37.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.42 ¥197

$30.29 ¥203

-2.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.52 ¥30.24

$5.09 ¥34.01

-11.20%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ¥23.73

$3.43 ¥22.96

3.50%

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

$0.47 ¥3.16

$0.62 ¥4.15

-24.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.39 ¥2.58

-25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ¥6.89

$1.23 ¥8.25

-16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ¥23.10

$2.21 ¥14.81

56.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.61

$1.85 ¥12.37

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ¥7.62

$1.95 ¥13.02

-41.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$1.00 ¥6.67

-30.00%

Eggs

$1.65 ¥11.00

$1.71 ¥11.43

-3.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 ¥101

$17.47 ¥117

-13.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ¥24.50

$3.24 ¥21.66

12.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$12.99 ¥86.8

-30.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.84

$2.24 ¥14.98

-54.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.37

$1.68 ¥11.25

-7.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.99

$1.95 ¥13.03

-23.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.85

$1.73 ¥11.60

-32.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.18

$0.76 ¥5.10

-17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.03

$0.92 ¥6.15

-18.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ¥4.66

$0.66 ¥4.41

6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.60 ¥4.00

-3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 ¥30.84

$3.69 ¥24.65

24.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.06 ¥53.9

$10.92 ¥73.0

-26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥5.41

$0.87 ¥5.85

-6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ¥9.59

$1.63 ¥10.87

-12.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.62 ¥4.13

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.24 ¥122

$30.38 ¥203

-39.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$2.06 ¥13.79

-15.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.29

$0.46 ¥3.08

-26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.04 ¥47.05

$8.84 ¥59.1

-20.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.33 ¥8.86

-1.50%

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

$19.5K ¥130.2K

$19.3K ¥128.7K

1.17%

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

$17.8K ¥118.8K

$18.2K ¥122.0K

-2.60%

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

$51.8 ¥346

$57.1 ¥382

-9.26%

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

$6.59 ¥44.09

$8.07 ¥53.9

-18.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.92 ¥53.0

$10.70 ¥71.5

-25.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.84 ¥273

$64.6 ¥432

-36.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.02 ¥100

$17.29 ¥116

-13.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ¥51.7

$9.05 ¥60.5

-14.48%

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

$415 ¥2,773

$1,441 ¥9,638

-71.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K ¥106.9K

$28.2K ¥188.4K

-43.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ¥417

$53.5 ¥358

16.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.59 ¥178

$37.05 ¥248

-28.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 ¥412

$77.0 ¥515

-19.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.7 ¥346

$104 ¥694

-50.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$302 ¥2,017

$1,023 ¥6,841

-70.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,199

$594 ¥3,971

-69.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ¥4,135

$2,563 ¥17.1K

-75.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 ¥2,548

$1,213 ¥8,107

-68.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,522 ¥23.6K

$13.5K ¥90.4K

-73.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,905 ¥12.7K

$6,247 ¥41.8K

-69.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$713 ¥4,771

$1,699 ¥11.4K

-58.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.36

-5.36%

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

Last update for Quzhou: October 17, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Quzhou

$191 27.3%

Shanghai

$238 18.9% 24.1% $46

Accommodation & Living

Quzhou

$179 25.6%

Shanghai

$594 47.3% 231% $415

Eating Out

Quzhou

$93 13.3%

Shanghai

$107 8.5% 14.3% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Quzhou

$91 13%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 34.2% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quzhou

$66 9.5%

Shanghai

$76 6% 14.4% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Quzhou

$56 8%

Shanghai

$83 6.6% 46.9% $26

Getting Around

Quzhou

$23 3.3%

Shanghai

$37 3% 62.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $302 in Quzhou versus $1,023 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 138% 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 $29.00 in Quzhou versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $238 – making Quzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Quzhou

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

Same time as Quzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,122,661

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

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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

Quzhou vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 79%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,051 per month in Quzhou and $1,884 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 67% less in Quzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $415 per month in Quzhou and $1,441 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 Quzhou, where all-in costs run around $701, than in Shanghai at $1,256. In Quzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quzhou – 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 Quzhou. 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.