Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Benxi

For one person, living is cheaper in Benxi: $692 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Benxi
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Benxi Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Benxi

🇨🇳 China

$692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Benxi

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Shanghai vs $692 in Benxi, rent included.

Shanghai $1,222
Benxi $692

A couple spends around $1,971 per month in Shanghai vs $991 in Benxi, rent included.

Shanghai $1,971
Benxi $991

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in Shanghai vs $1,291 in Benxi, rent included.

Shanghai $2,720
Benxi $1,291

Shanghai costs about 77% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Benxi are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 10% lower, Benxi 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.07

$3.04 ¥20.19

49.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥200

$22.33 ¥148

35.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥33.99

$5.31 ¥35.25

-3.77%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.67

$2.40 ¥15.98

42.08%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.51 ¥3.39

13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.29 ¥1.89

20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.21

$0.73 ¥4.84

68.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.35

$1.76 ¥11.69

31.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.50

$1.85 ¥12.28

1.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.86

$1.22 ¥8.08

59.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.51

$0.84 ¥5.60

16.67%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.29

$1.60 ¥10.65

6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$10.00 ¥66.4

70.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.38

$2.85 ¥18.92

12.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥85.9

$8.92 ¥59.3

44.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.29

$1.62 ¥10.74

32.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.46

$1.38 ¥9.17

25.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.49

$1.62 ¥10.76

25.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.52

$1.37 ¥9.12

26.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.50

$0.58 ¥3.88

43.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.12

$1.85 ¥12.26

-50.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.47

$0.61 ¥4.09

9.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.69 ¥4.57

-14.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.06

$2.97 ¥19.75

26.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.3

$8.24 ¥54.7

33.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥5.99

$0.58 ¥3.85

55.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.66

$1.25 ¥8.30

28.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.80

$0.31 ¥2.09

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$12.21 ¥81.1

142.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.23

$0.88 ¥5.84

143.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.29 ¥1.91

62.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.1

$2.98 ¥19.82

193.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.92

$1.13 ¥7.53

18.58%

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

$19.3K ¥127.9K

$19.8K ¥131.7K

-2.84%

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

$18.3K ¥121.5K

$18.0K ¥119.4K

1.73%

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

$58.9 ¥391

$54.4 ¥361

8.35%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$6.70 ¥44.51

17.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.4

$10.41 ¥69.2

1.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$66.3 ¥441

-2.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$8.31 ¥55.2

110.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.2

$6.03 ¥40.08

50.25%

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

$1,587 ¥10.5K

$449 ¥2,985

253.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.6K

$8,894 ¥59.1K

217.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$29.74 ¥198

83.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥247

$32.77 ¥218

13.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥495

$60.2 ¥400

23.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$52.4 ¥348

102.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,816

$137 ¥907

651.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,716

$189 ¥1,259

195.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$258 ¥1,711

916.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,915

$153 ¥1,015

679.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥88.9K

$3,371 ¥22.4K

296.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$1,941 ¥12.9K

236.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

$447 ¥2,971

282.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

-16.00%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Benxi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Benxi

$189 27.4% 66.1% $370

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Benxi

$179 25.9% 24.3% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Benxi

$79 11.4% 35.8% $44

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Benxi

$79 11.5% 25.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Benxi

$78 11.3% 5.5% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Benxi

$71 10.3% 7.6% $5.9

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Benxi

$16 2.3% 56.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,026 in Shanghai versus $137 in Benxi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Shanghai are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai versus $22 in Benxi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $179 – making Benxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Benxi

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

809,655

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Shanghai Benxi 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Benxi

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 Benxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai costs about 77% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Shanghai and $1,039 in Benxi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benxi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

Kindergarten costs $1,587 per month in Shanghai and $449 in Benxi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Shanghai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Benxi, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Benxi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Benxi – 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 Benxi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.