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Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Beijing (Pekin) Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Beijing (Pekin)

😐 Solo nomad: Shanghai is 4% more expensive than Beijing (Pekin) without rent, and 9.2% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Shanghai is 9.1% more expensive than Beijing (Pekin) without rent, and 7.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Shanghai
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.77 ¥33.30
$4.23 ¥29.55
12.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.92 ¥251
$27.60 ¥193
30.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.45 ¥38.01
$5.37 ¥37.49
1.49%
Cappuccino
$3.42 ¥23.89
$3.16 ¥22.08
8.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 ¥4.07
$0.46 ¥3.22
26.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ¥2.35
$0.28 ¥1.95
21.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.42 ¥9.91
$1.08 ¥7.53
31.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 ¥19.56
$2.06 ¥14.39
35.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Shanghai
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.09 ¥14.59
$1.71 ¥11.97
22.22%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 ¥12.92
$1.65 ¥11.50
12.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.10 ¥7.66
$1.08 ¥7.53
1.85%
Eggs
$1.60 ¥11.20
$1.71 ¥11.94
-6.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.28 ¥107
$16.00 ¥112
-4.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.08 ¥21.53
$3.32 ¥23.15
-7.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.85 ¥75.8
$9.63 ¥67.2
12.67%
Apples (1kg)
$2.33 ¥16.30
$2.17 ¥15.13
7.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 ¥12.35
$1.63 ¥11.40
8.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 ¥12.42
$1.73 ¥12.08
2.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 ¥10.28
$1.32 ¥9.24
11.36%
Potato (1kg)
$0.81 ¥5.64
$0.80 ¥5.57
1.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 ¥8.10
$0.95 ¥6.63
22.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ¥4.37
$0.67 ¥4.68
-5.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ¥4.17
$0.56 ¥3.90
7.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.77 ¥19.35
$3.38 ¥23.62
-18.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.49 ¥80.2
$9.91 ¥69.2
15.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 ¥5.86
$0.87 ¥6.05
-3.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 ¥11.27
$1.83 ¥12.81
-12.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Shanghai
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ¥2.79
$0.58 ¥4.08
-31.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.13 ¥238
$31.01 ¥216
10.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.29 ¥15.98
$1.78 ¥12.39
28.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 ¥2.63
$0.35 ¥2.47
8.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.32 ¥58.1
$10.34 ¥72.1
-19.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 ¥8.00
$1.12 ¥7.82
2.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K ¥137.2K
$18.5K ¥129.3K
6.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.3K ¥127.5K
$15.4K ¥107.2K
18.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shanghai
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$52.1 ¥363
$52.6 ¥367
-1.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.79 ¥61.3
$9.07 ¥63.3
-3.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.87 ¥96.8
$12.73 ¥88.8
8.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Shanghai
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.42 ¥324
$49.84 ¥348
-6.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.78 ¥138
$18.00 ¥126
9.89%
Cinema Ticket
$8.28 ¥57.8
$8.49 ¥59.3
-2.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Shanghai
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,297 ¥9,056
$659 ¥4,602
96.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.9K ¥215.7K
$24.2K ¥168.9K
27.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Shanghai
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 ¥417
$63.3 ¥442
-5.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.03 ¥265
$35.05 ¥245
8.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.5 ¥541
$76.8 ¥536
0.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.3 ¥693
$101 ¥703
-1.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Shanghai
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$944 ¥6,591
$897 ¥6,261
5.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$570 ¥3,981
$464 ¥3,237
22.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,460 ¥17.2K
$1,935 ¥13.5K
27.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,204 ¥8,401
$1,096 ¥7,652
9.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$14.2K ¥99.5K
$13.0K ¥90.5K
9.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,080 ¥49.4K
$6,236 ¥43.5K
13.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Shanghai
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,632 ¥11.4K
$1,499 ¥10.5K
8.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.58
3.64
-1.65%

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

Last update for Shanghai: January 10, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): January 10, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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