Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rui'an and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Rui'an: $717 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Rui'an
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Rui'an Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Rui'an

🇨🇳 China

$717

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $717 in Rui'an versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Rui'an $717
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,135 in Rui'an versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Rui'an $1,135
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,554 in Rui'an versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Rui'an $1,554
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Rui'an costs roughly 42% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rui'an 47% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 ¥18.34

$4.56 ¥30.47

-39.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.77 ¥146

$30.21 ¥202

-27.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 ¥32.86

$5.25 ¥35.13

-6.48%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.33

$3.28 ¥21.94

-7.32%

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

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.57 ¥3.84

-17.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.36 ¥2.39

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.96 ¥6.39

$1.23 ¥8.23

-21.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.74

$2.27 ¥15.18

-9.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ¥11.91

$1.84 ¥12.30

-3.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.96 ¥13.08

-17.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.36

$1.03 ¥6.87

-7.77%

Eggs

$1.60 ¥10.69

$1.67 ¥11.16

-4.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 ¥86.8

$16.96 ¥113

-23.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ¥21.95

$3.19 ¥21.33

2.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 ¥67.5

$12.90 ¥86.3

-21.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.06

$2.24 ¥15.00

-19.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.02

$1.66 ¥11.13

-27.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.96

$2.02 ¥13.54

-26.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.59

$1.66 ¥11.08

-31.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.65

$0.77 ¥5.17

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.44

$0.93 ¥6.21

3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ¥3.71

$0.63 ¥4.19

-12.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.68

$0.60 ¥3.99

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ¥21.22

$3.80 ¥25.44

-16.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.76 ¥71.9

$10.87 ¥72.7

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.29

$0.82 ¥5.51

-3.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$1.61 ¥10.76

2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.96

$0.61 ¥4.11

-52.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.58 ¥111

$29.40 ¥197

-43.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.16

$2.11 ¥14.11

-35.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.17

$0.43 ¥2.87

-23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 ¥44.37

$9.06 ¥60.6

-26.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.53

$1.33 ¥8.89

-15.04%

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

$19.7K ¥131.8K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

3.59%

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

$17.1K ¥114.1K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-8.76%

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

$45.35 ¥303

$57.8 ¥387

-21.55%

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

$9.99 ¥66.8

$8.09 ¥54.1

23.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.55 ¥77.2

$10.48 ¥70.0

10.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.05 ¥274

$65.7 ¥439

-37.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.72 ¥91.8

$17.82 ¥119

-23.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 ¥40.71

$8.95 ¥59.9

-31.96%

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

$330 ¥2,205

$1,414 ¥9,451

-76.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ¥113.4K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-39.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.50 ¥291

$54.0 ¥361

-19.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.91 ¥200

$37.09 ¥248

-19.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 ¥489

$74.3 ¥496

-1.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥482

$106 ¥706

-31.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ¥1,855

$1,055 ¥7,056

-73.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 ¥1,290

$585 ¥3,910

-67.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 ¥4,007

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-75.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ¥2,412

$1,232 ¥8,240

-70.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,986 ¥20.0K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-78.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,051 ¥13.7K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-67.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

3.36

15.77%

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

Last update for Rui'an: 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

Rui'an

$199 27.8%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 17.8% $35

Accommodation & Living

Rui'an

$193 26.9%

Shanghai

$585 47% 203% $392

Clothing & Footwear

Rui'an

$98 13.7%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 23.9% $24

Eating Out

Rui'an

$85 11.9%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 24.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rui'an

$67 9.3%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 14.2% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Rui'an

$53 7.4%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 57.1% $30

Getting Around

Rui'an

$21 2.9%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 74% $15

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $22.00 in Rui'an vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $235 per month, with Rui'an cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Rui'an

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

Same time as Rui'an

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

213,600

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

Rui'an vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rui'an wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Shanghai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rui'an the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,075 in Rui'an 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: $277 in Rui'an 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 Rui'an – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $717 per month in Rui'an versus $1,244 in Shanghai – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $717 in Rui'an versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rui'an but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Rui'an 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.

Safety-wise, Rui'an and Shanghai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rui'an gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.