Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Anqing Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Anqing

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,209 per month in Shanghai vs $647 in Anqing, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,979 per month in Shanghai vs $1,015 in Anqing, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Shanghai vs $1,383 in Anqing, rent included.

Shanghai costs about 87% more than Anqing, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Shanghai and Anqing are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 10% lower, Anqing 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.90 ¥33.21

$2.81 ¥19.05

74.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.30 ¥246

$21.21 ¥144

71.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ¥37.88

$5.48 ¥37.14

2.01%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ¥24.06

$2.17 ¥14.69

63.59%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$0.39 ¥2.63

46.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.46

$0.27 ¥1.80

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ¥9.67

$0.81 ¥5.47

76.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ¥19.27

$2.59 ¥17.52

10.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ¥14.62

$1.80 ¥12.22

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ¥12.04

$1.38 ¥9.34

28.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.43

$0.93 ¥6.33

18.28%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.45

$1.39 ¥9.38

21.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.30 ¥104

$12.34 ¥83.6

23.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥21.15

$3.45 ¥23.39

-9.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ¥72.9

$12.34 ¥83.6

-12.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ¥15.31

$1.95 ¥13.18

15.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ¥11.33

$1.08 ¥7.31

54.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.18

$1.19 ¥8.04

51.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.36

$0.92 ¥6.20

66.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.47

$0.74 ¥4.98

9.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.53

$0.72 ¥4.89

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.62

$0.50 ¥3.35

36.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.57 ¥3.84

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ¥19.22

$3.07 ¥20.80

-7.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 ¥78.6

$11.86 ¥80.3

-2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.32

$0.73 ¥4.93

8.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.08

$1.53 ¥10.38

7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.29 ¥1.97

48.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.41 ¥233

$16.72 ¥113

105.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ¥14.94

$0.88 ¥5.96

151.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.22 ¥1.49

72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 ¥56.7

$6.16 ¥41.71

36.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.72

$1.07 ¥7.28

6.54%

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

$19.5K ¥132.3K

$18.2K ¥123.3K

7.37%

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

$18.1K ¥122.9K

$14.3K ¥96.7K

27.11%

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

$52.8 ¥358

$84.1 ¥570

-37.24%

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

$8.53 ¥57.8

$7.69 ¥52.1

10.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 ¥93.7

$12.04 ¥81.5

14.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.02 ¥318

$41.31 ¥280

13.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.81 ¥134

$14.13 ¥95.7

40.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 ¥57.3

$5.62 ¥38.08

50.53%

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

$1,303 ¥8,823

$324 ¥2,196

301.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K ¥213.8K

$7,654 ¥51.8K

312.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥404

$30.08 ¥204

98.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥258

$24.64 ¥167

54.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ¥534

$70.3 ¥476

12.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 ¥672

$34.39 ¥233

188.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,317

$209 ¥1,415

346.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 ¥3,861

$123 ¥836

361.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 ¥16.9K

$331 ¥2,242

652.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ¥8,075

$221 ¥1,499

438.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥94.7K

$3,033 ¥20.5K

361.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,729 ¥45.6K

$1,756 ¥11.9K

283.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,689 ¥11.4K

$764 ¥5,173

121.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

19.33%

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

Last update for Shanghai: June 2, 2026

Last update for Anqing: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Shanghai versus $209 in Anqing. 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 121% 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 $36.00 in Shanghai versus $21.00 in Anqing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $201 – making Anqing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Anqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,209 in Shanghai, $647 in Anqing – roughly 87% apart. Shanghai costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,814 per month in Shanghai and $970 in Anqing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Shanghai and $21.00 in Anqing. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,209 in Shanghai and $647 in Anqing. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Anqing, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Shanghai at $1,209. In Anqing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Anqing – 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 Anqing. 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.