Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Changchun

For one person, living is cheaper in Changchun: $904 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Changchun
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Changchun Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Changchun

🇨🇳 China

$904

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Changchun

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Shanghai versus $904 in Changchun.

Shanghai $1,256
Changchun $904

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,324 in Changchun.

Shanghai $1,999
Changchun $1,324

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Shanghai versus $1,743 in Changchun.

Shanghai $2,743
Changchun $1,743

Living in Shanghai is roughly 39% more expensive than in Changchun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 7% lower, Changchun 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$3.02 ¥20.22

47.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$22.15 ¥148

36.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$5.19 ¥34.68

-1.93%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$2.40 ¥16.02

42.92%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.47 ¥3.14

31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.31 ¥2.10

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$1.21 ¥8.12

1.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$1.91 ¥12.74

15.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.90 ¥12.70

-2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$1.22 ¥8.16

59.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$1.44 ¥9.65

-30.56%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.81 ¥12.12

-5.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$34.55 ¥231

-49.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$5.71 ¥38.15

-43.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$10.36 ¥69.3

25.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$1.72 ¥11.51

30.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$1.45 ¥9.71

15.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.80 ¥12.05

8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$1.89 ¥12.66

-8.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$0.89 ¥5.95

-14.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$0.58 ¥3.89

13.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$1.47 ¥9.80

-59.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.78 ¥25.28

-2.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$21.06 ¥141

-48.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$0.92 ¥6.13

-5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$1.10 ¥7.37

48.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.44 ¥2.92

40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$1.24 ¥8.26

66.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.31 ¥2.09

48.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$3.02 ¥20.18

192.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.28 ¥8.58

3.91%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$19.3K ¥129.3K

-0.46%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$17.8K ¥118.9K

2.60%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$76.7 ¥513

-25.51%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$4.43 ¥29.63

82.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$14.76 ¥98.7

-27.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$37.44 ¥250

72.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$4.13 ¥27.59

318.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$6.64 ¥44.42

36.30%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$553 ¥3,701

160.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$21.9K ¥146.1K

28.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$73.7 ¥493

-27.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$44.44 ¥297

-16.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$60.2 ¥402

27.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$69.7 ¥466

48.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$216 ¥1,446

372.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$246 ¥1,648

140.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$576 ¥3,848

345.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$308 ¥2,057

294.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$1,668 ¥11.2K

710.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$1,006 ¥6,728

520.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

$961 ¥6,423

76.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

4.37

-23.11%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Changchun: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Changchun

$246 27.3% 58.5% $347

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Changchun

$313 * 34.6% 31.7% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Changchun

$112 12.4% 8.6% $11

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Changchun

$82 9% 23.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Changchun

$51 5.6% 38.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Changchun

$96 10.6% 26.3% $20

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Changchun

$4.5 * 0.5% 87.8% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,023 in Shanghai and $216 in Changchun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 77% 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 $22.00 in Changchun. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $313, with Shanghai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Changchun

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

9,066,906

💱 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

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Shanghai Changchun 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Changchun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changchun is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 77% 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: $1,023 in Shanghai versus $216 in Changchun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,441 in Shanghai versus $553 in Changchun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Changchun – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $904 in Changchun versus $1,256 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changchun but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Changchun 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 Changchun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.