Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Beppu

For one person, living is cheaper in Beppu: $965 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Beppu
Learn more

Beppu Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Beppu

🇯🇵 Japan

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Beppu

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $965 in Beppu, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Beppu $965

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,429 in Beppu, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Beppu $1,429

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $1,893 in Beppu, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Beppu $1,893

Shanghai costs about 29% more than Beppu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Shanghai and Beppu are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Beppu 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$6.34 ¥1,001

-28.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$24.04 ¥3,798

25.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.36 ¥689

20.41%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.10 ¥490

5.81%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.03 ¥163

-44.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.71 ¥113

-49.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$3.22 ¥508

-61.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.15 ¥340

5.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.40 ¥221

31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.59 ¥251

23.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$4.51 ¥712

-77.16%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.45 ¥229

15.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$8.77 ¥1,385

93.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$5.32 ¥840

-40.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$10.02 ¥1,582

28.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$3.73 ¥589

-39.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.88 ¥297

-11.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$2.82 ¥445

-28.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$3.22 ¥509

-48.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.16 ¥341

-64.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.25 ¥356

-58.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.02 ¥162

-38.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.94 ¥148

-36.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.67 ¥580

3.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$6.25 ¥988

73.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.43 ¥226

-42.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.66 ¥262

-3.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$2.56 ¥404

-76.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$30.96 ¥4,891

-5.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.83 ¥605

-44.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$2.02 ¥320

-78.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$17.76 ¥2,805

-48.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.09 ¥172

22.02%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$11.4K ¥1.8M

67.61%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$16.0K ¥2.5M

16.91%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$145 ¥22.8K

-60.01%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$12.45 ¥1,968

-35.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$28.03 ¥4,429

-62.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$43.32 ¥6,843

51.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$3.16 ¥500

463.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$6.24 ¥986

43.43%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$193 ¥30.5K

632.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$12.0K ¥1.9M

132.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$28.32 ¥4,475

90.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$21.68 ¥3,426

71.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$65.0 ¥10.3K

14.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$38.19 ¥6,033

176.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$306 ¥48.4K

244.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$228 ¥36.1K

156.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$563 ¥89.0K

341.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$374 ¥59.2K

229.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$4,216 ¥666.1K

230.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,595 ¥251.9K

292.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,354 ¥213.9K

26.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

1.97

70.56%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Beppu: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Beppu

$228 23.7% 60.9% $356

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Beppu

$243 25.2% 3.6% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Beppu

$69 7.2% 43.5% $53

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Beppu

$128 13.3% 21% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Beppu

$56 5.8% 33.3% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Beppu

$185 19.2% 142% $109

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Beppu

$55 5.7% 52.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $306 in Beppu. 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 26% 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 $24.00 in Beppu. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Shanghai vs $243 in Beppu – so Shanghai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Beppu

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

22:53 10:53 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

115,321

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Shanghai Beppu 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Beppu

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 Beppu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai costs about 29% more than Beppu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,447 in Beppu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Beppu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,244 in Shanghai and $965 in Beppu. That's a gap of about 29%.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Beppu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Beppu, where all-in costs run around $965, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Beppu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Beppu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Beppu. 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.