Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rizhao and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Rizhao: $667 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Rizhao
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Rizhao Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Rizhao

🇨🇳 China

$667

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $667 in Rizhao versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Rizhao $667
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,077 in Rizhao versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Rizhao $1,077
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,487 in Rizhao versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Rizhao $1,487
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Rizhao costs roughly 46% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rizhao 51% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.54 ¥16.95

$4.56 ¥30.47

-44.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.14 ¥128

$30.21 ¥202

-36.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 ¥32.21

$5.25 ¥35.13

-8.19%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ¥13.05

$3.28 ¥21.94

-40.55%

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

$0.46 ¥3.10

$0.57 ¥3.84

-19.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.54

$0.36 ¥2.39

-36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.87

$1.23 ¥8.23

-28.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ¥13.21

$2.27 ¥15.18

-12.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.78

$1.84 ¥12.30

-20.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ¥9.87

$1.96 ¥13.08

-24.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$1.03 ¥6.87

-55.34%

Eggs

$1.07 ¥7.14

$1.67 ¥11.16

-35.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$16.96 ¥113

-30.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ¥22.32

$3.19 ¥21.33

4.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.9

$12.90 ¥86.3

-12.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.78

$2.24 ¥15.00

-34.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.81

$1.66 ¥11.13

-38.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.02 ¥13.54

-61.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.65

$1.66 ¥11.08

-31.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.87

$0.77 ¥5.17

-24.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.57

$0.93 ¥6.21

-26.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.63 ¥4.19

-7.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.60 ¥3.99

5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 ¥24.45

$3.80 ¥25.44

-3.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 ¥66.8

$10.87 ¥72.7

-8.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥4.81

$0.82 ¥5.51

-12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ¥9.08

$1.61 ¥10.76

-15.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.61 ¥4.11

-52.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.44 ¥117

$29.40 ¥197

-40.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ¥8.20

$2.11 ¥14.11

-41.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ¥1.67

$0.43 ¥2.87

-41.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 ¥30.21

$9.06 ¥60.6

-50.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥7.92

$1.33 ¥8.89

-10.53%

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

$19.1K ¥127.6K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

0.33%

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

$14.8K ¥99.1K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-20.77%

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

$73.5 ¥491

$57.8 ¥387

27.14%

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

$6.63 ¥44.30

$8.09 ¥54.1

-18.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.18 ¥34.65

$10.48 ¥70.0

-50.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.51 ¥244

$65.7 ¥439

-44.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$17.82 ¥119

-25.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 ¥35.87

$8.95 ¥59.9

-40.11%

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

$218 ¥1,458

$1,414 ¥9,451

-84.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥132.4K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-28.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.08 ¥228

$54.0 ¥361

-36.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.15 ¥289

$37.09 ¥248

16.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ¥476

$74.3 ¥496

-4.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ¥464

$106 ¥706

-34.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$299 ¥1,999

$1,055 ¥7,056

-71.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ¥1,090

$585 ¥3,910

-72.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,167

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-74.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ¥2,505

$1,232 ¥8,240

-69.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,578 ¥23.9K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-74.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,144 ¥14.3K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-65.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

3.36

-6.85%

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

Last update for Rizhao: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Rizhao

$183 27.4%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 28.4% $52

Accommodation & Living

Rizhao

$163 24.4%

Shanghai

$585 47% 259% $422

Clothing & Footwear

Rizhao

$98 14.7%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 24.3% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rizhao

$85 12.8%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 10.5% $8.9

Eating Out

Rizhao

$69 10.4%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 53% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Rizhao

$47 7.1%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 77% $36

Getting Around

Rizhao

$21 3.2%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 71.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $299 in Rizhao and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Rizhao vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $235 per month, with Rizhao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Rizhao

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Rizhao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,143,000

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

Rizhao vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rizhao and Shanghai differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($667 vs $1,244 including rent). Rizhao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,000 in Rizhao and $1,865 in Shanghai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $299 in Rizhao 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 Rizhao – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $667 per month in Rizhao versus $1,244 in Shanghai – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $667 in Rizhao versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rizhao but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Rizhao 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 Rizhao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.