Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Aichi

For one person, living is cheaper in Aichi: $1,058 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shanghai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Aichi
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Aichi Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Aichi

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,058

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Aichi

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $1,058 in Aichi, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Aichi $1,058

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,689 in Aichi, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Aichi $1,689

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $2,320 in Aichi, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Aichi $2,320

Shanghai costs about 18% more than Aichi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Shanghai and Aichi are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Aichi 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$6.46 ¥1,021

-29.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$35.25 ¥5,569

-14.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$5.07 ¥801

3.55%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.48 ¥550

-5.75%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.97 ¥153

-41.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.75 ¥119

-52.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$2.45 ¥386

-49.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.82 ¥445

-19.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.40 ¥221

31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.71 ¥270

14.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$3.46 ¥546

-70.23%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.00 ¥315

-16.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$10.49 ¥1,657

61.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$6.03 ¥952

-47.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$14.35 ¥2,267

-10.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$2.50 ¥395

-10.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.90 ¥301

-12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.85 ¥292

9.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$2.54 ¥401

-34.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$1.92 ¥303

-59.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.61 ¥255

-42.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.23 ¥195

-48.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.80 ¥127

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.79 ¥599

0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$6.15 ¥971

76.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.73 ¥274

-52.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$2.01 ¥318

-19.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.31 ¥207

-53.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$50.6 ¥7,999

-41.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.02 ¥476

-30.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$2.72 ¥430

-84.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$20.08 ¥3,173

-54.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.10 ¥174

20.91%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$20.9K ¥3.3M

-9.15%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$18.1K ¥2.9M

3.43%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$96.5 ¥15.2K

-40.09%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$18.62 ¥2,941

-56.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$32.10 ¥5,071

-67.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$31.33 ¥4,949

109.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$6.15 ¥971

189.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$12.68 ¥2,003

-29.42%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$628 ¥99.2K

125.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$14.6K ¥2.3M

90.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$37.93 ¥5,992

42.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$34.08 ¥5,383

8.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$60.4 ¥9,535

23.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$93.9 ¥14.8K

12.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$403 ¥63.7K

161.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$296 ¥46.8K

97.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$959 ¥151.5K

159.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$637 ¥100.7K

93.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$1,860 ¥293.9K

648.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$959 ¥151.5K

552.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,563 ¥246.9K

9.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.64

27.27%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Aichi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Aichi

$296 28% 49.4% $289

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Aichi

$250 23.6% 6.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Aichi

$102 9.6% 16.5% $20

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Aichi

$133 12.6% 25.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Aichi

$57 5.4% 32.2% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Aichi

$147 13.9% 92.8% $71

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Aichi

$72 6.9% 101% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $403 in Aichi. 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 9% 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 $30.00 in Shanghai versus $35.00 in Aichi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $250 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Aichi

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

18:07 6:07 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

384,654

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Aichi 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Aichi

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

Shanghai vs Aichi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai costs about 18% more than Aichi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,587 in Aichi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,244 in Shanghai and $1,058 in Aichi. That's a gap of about 18%.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Aichi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aichi, where all-in costs run around $1,058, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Aichi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aichi costs $1,058 versus $1,244 in Shanghai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aichi. 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.