Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Bengbu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bengbu: $666 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Bengbu
Learn more

Bengbu Living Index

Jump to prices

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Bengbu

🇨🇳 China

$666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Bengbu

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 Bengbu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $666 in Bengbu.

Shanghai $1,244
Bengbu $666

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,043 in Bengbu.

Shanghai $1,999
Bengbu $1,043

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $1,420 in Bengbu.

Shanghai $2,755
Bengbu $1,420

Living in Shanghai is roughly 87% more expensive than in Bengbu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Bengbu 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$2.31 ¥15.42

97.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$10.50 ¥70.2

187.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.76 ¥31.80

10.29%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.15 ¥21.08

4.13%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.47 ¥3.16

21.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.25 ¥1.66

44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.45 ¥9.67

-15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.21 ¥14.74

2.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$2.18 ¥14.56

-15.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.02 ¥6.82

92.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$0.72 ¥4.85

43.06%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.32 ¥8.82

26.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$10.42 ¥69.7

62.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.04 ¥20.30

4.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$9.00 ¥60.2

43.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$1.50 ¥10.03

49.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.07 ¥7.13

55.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.52 ¥10.16

32.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$0.78 ¥5.22

112.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.62 ¥4.16

24.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.63 ¥4.20

47.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.76 ¥5.09

-17.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.43 ¥2.90

39.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$2.93 ¥19.56

29.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$6.10 ¥40.82

78.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.76 ¥5.11

7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.47 ¥9.86

9.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.31 ¥2.09

96.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$20.48 ¥137

43.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.61 ¥10.76

31.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.38 ¥2.57

13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$9.15 ¥61.2

-0.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.29 ¥8.66

3.10%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.2K ¥128.4K

-0.92%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$16.6K ¥111.2K

12.44%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$36.70 ¥245

57.52%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$5.39 ¥36.01

50.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$7.07 ¥47.24

48.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$41.28 ¥276

59.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$16.25 ¥109

9.66%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$5.99 ¥40.07

49.42%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$417 ¥2,788

238.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$22.1K ¥147.9K

25.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$43.41 ¥290

24.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$33.77 ¥226

9.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$66.1 ¥442

12.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$88.5 ¥592

19.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$294 ¥1,969

258.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$181 ¥1,209

223.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$586 ¥3,920

323.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$349 ¥2,334

252.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$3,507 ¥23.4K

297.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$2,194 ¥14.7K

185.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$668 ¥4,468

156.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.42

-1.75%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Bengbu

$181 27.2% 69.1% $404

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Bengbu

$168 25.2% 28.5% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Bengbu

$104 15.7% 14.4% $18

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Bengbu

$85 12.8% 19.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Bengbu

$53 8% 36.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Bengbu

$49 7.4% 35.6% $27

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Bengbu

$25 3.8% 30% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $294 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 156% 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: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $11.00 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $168 per month, with Bengbu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Bengbu

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

3,296,408

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Bengbu 430 km

From you

Shanghai
Bengbu

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 Bengbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bengbu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 156% 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: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $294 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,414 in Shanghai versus $417 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $666 in Bengbu versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bengbu but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Bengbu 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.

Expats usually find Bengbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.