Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Baku Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Baku

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,192 in Shanghai versus $904 in Baku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,958 in Shanghai versus $1,425 in Baku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,724 in Shanghai versus $1,946 in Baku.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 32% more expensive than in Baku, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 11% lower, Baku 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ¥31.92

$8.84 ₼15.02

-46.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.92 ¥243

$34.67 ₼58.9

3.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 ¥38.75

$7.63 ₼12.97

-24.77%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ¥23.76

$3.70 ₼6.29

-4.86%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$0.83 ₼1.41

-31.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.25

$0.47 ₼0.79

-29.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ¥9.18

$1.73 ₼2.95

-21.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ¥19.17

$2.98 ₼5.07

-4.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ¥14.18

$1.38 ₼2.34

52.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ¥12.13

$0.51 ₼0.87

252.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.12

$2.26 ₼3.84

-53.54%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.33

$1.35 ₼2.29

24.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.78 ¥107

$5.28 ₼8.96

198.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ¥21.39

$4.87 ₼8.28

-34.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 ¥74.5

$10.33 ₼17.56

6.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ¥16.05

$1.33 ₼2.25

78.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.45

$1.80 ₼3.06

-6.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.05

$1.47 ₼2.49

21.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.82

$1.88 ₼3.20

-22.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.63

$0.77 ₼1.31

7.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.62

$0.51 ₼0.87

121.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$0.39 ₼0.67

74.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.05

$0.65 ₼1.11

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.03

$3.57 ₼6.06

-21.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 ¥79.3

$8.65 ₼14.69

35.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.27

$1.33 ₼2.26

-41.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.62

$2.78 ₼4.72

-43.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.30 ₼0.51

36.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.05 ¥237

$17.38 ₼29.54

101.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ¥15.26

$2.01 ₼3.42

12.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.52

$0.57 ₼0.97

-35.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.18 ¥55.3

$3.48 ₼5.91

135.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$0.74 ₼1.26

55.41%

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

$19.3K ¥130.3K

$20.0K ₼34.0K

-3.49%

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

$17.7K ¥119.8K

$22.4K ₼38.0K

-20.80%

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

$53.0 ¥358

$61.6 ₼105

-13.87%

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

$8.77 ¥59.3

$11.90 ₼20.23

-26.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.78 ¥93.1

$15.40 ₼26.17

-10.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.42 ¥307

$43.36 ₼73.7

4.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥135

$22.51 ₼38.25

-11.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.30 ¥56.1

$5.95 ₼10.12

39.50%

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

$1,264 ¥8,542

$253 ₼431

399.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K ¥214.0K

$6,443 ₼10.9K

391.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 ¥390

$57.4 ₼97.5

0.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 ¥256

$54.2 ₼92.1

-29.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥520

$123 ₼209

-37.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 ¥654

$98.5 ₼167

-1.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 ¥6,456

$475 ₼807

101.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,749

$268 ₼455

107.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 ¥16.9K

$958 ₼1,628

160.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ¥8,154

$449 ₼764

168.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.3K ¥96.6K

$2,262 ₼3,845

531.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,625 ¥44.8K

$1,272 ₼2,163

420.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,702 ¥11.5K

$556 ₼944

206.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

8.87

-59.64%

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

Last update for Shanghai: July 11, 2026

Last update for Baku: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $955 in Shanghai and $475 in Baku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 206% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $36.00 in Shanghai vs $35.00 in Baku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $179 per month, with Baku cheaper across the board.

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 Baku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Baku differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,192 vs $904 including rent). Baku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 206% higher in Shanghai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $955 in Shanghai versus $475 in Baku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,264 in Shanghai versus $253 in Baku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $904 in Baku versus $1,192 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Baku but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Baku 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, Shanghai and Baku 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 Baku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.