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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,247 per month in Shanghai vs $634 in Anqing, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,010 per month in Shanghai vs $993 in Anqing, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,773 per month in Shanghai vs $1,351 in Anqing, rent included.

Shanghai costs about 97% more than Anqing, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Shanghai and Anqing are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 9% lower, Anqing 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.36 ¥29.29

$2.58 ¥17.33

68.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.84 ¥200

$19.85 ¥133

50.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥34.03

$6.12 ¥41.07

-17.16%

Cappuccino

$3.38 ¥22.71

$2.19 ¥14.71

54.34%

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

$0.59 ¥3.96

$0.46 ¥3.09

28.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.44

$0.21 ¥1.41

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ¥7.76

$1.06 ¥7.14

9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ¥15.95

$1.31 ¥8.82

81.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ¥13.89

$1.02 ¥6.81

102.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 ¥13.22

$1.45 ¥9.76

35.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.49

$0.93 ¥6.27

4.30%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.25

$0.92 ¥6.18

82.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.91 ¥113

$13.44 ¥90.2

25.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ¥22.72

$3.54 ¥23.73

-4.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 ¥88.2

$11.51 ¥77.2

14.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ¥15.59

$2.27 ¥15.26

2.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.72

$1.26 ¥8.48

38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 ¥13.42

$1.39 ¥9.31

43.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.76

$1.13 ¥7.59

54.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ¥5.48

$0.81 ¥5.43

1.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.73

$0.76 ¥5.07

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.35

$0.37 ¥2.49

75.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ¥4.35

$0.38 ¥2.57

71.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.59

$6.64 ¥44.56

-33.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.17 ¥75.0

$11.90 ¥79.9

-6.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.33

$0.73 ¥4.88

28.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.48

$1.51 ¥10.10

3.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 ¥3.89

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.43 ¥197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ¥15.02

$0.94 ¥6.32

138.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.24 ¥1.60

79.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ¥58.8

$2.93 ¥19.69

199.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.41

$1.17 ¥7.83

6.84%

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

$19.7K ¥132.1K

$19.4K ¥130.4K

1.31%

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

$18.2K ¥122.3K

$16.8K ¥112.5K

8.77%

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

$61.6 ¥413

$58.4 ¥392

5.57%

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

$8.45 ¥56.7

$8.21 ¥55.1

2.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.41 ¥69.9

$8.82 ¥59.2

18.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ¥467

$75.1 ¥504

-7.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 ¥110

$15.04 ¥101

8.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.3

$5.22 ¥35.00

69.35%

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

$1,383 ¥9,278

$219 ¥1,472

530.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.0K ¥181.1K

$9,522 ¥63.9K

183.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 ¥348

$25.25 ¥169

105.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.86 ¥254

$20.92 ¥140

80.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 ¥503

$79.3 ¥532

-5.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ¥707

$33.44 ¥224

215.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ¥6,608

$186 ¥1,248

429.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 ¥3,838

$135 ¥903

324.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,470 ¥16.6K

$352 ¥2,364

600.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 ¥8,034

$234 ¥1,569

412.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K ¥91.6K

$13.0K ¥87.5K

4.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,149 ¥41.3K

$6,493 ¥43.6K

-5.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 ¥11.6K

$795 ¥5,335

118.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

11.67%

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

Last update for Shanghai: August 30, 2026

Last update for Anqing: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Shanghai versus $186 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 118% 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 $20.00 in Anqing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $195 – 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: $1,247 in Shanghai, $634 in Anqing – roughly 97% apart. Shanghai costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,871 per month in Shanghai and $952 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 $30.00 in Shanghai and $20.00 in Anqing. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Shanghai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Anqing, where all-in costs run around $634, than in Shanghai at $1,247. 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.