Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Changzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Changzhou: $741 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Changzhou
Learn more

Changzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Changzhou

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Changzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $741 in Changzhou.

Shanghai $1,244
Changzhou $741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,217 in Changzhou.

Shanghai $1,999
Changzhou $1,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $1,694 in Changzhou.

Shanghai $2,755
Changzhou $1,694

Living in Shanghai is roughly 68% more expensive than in Changzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Changzhou 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$2.92 ¥19.50

56.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$28.54 ¥191

5.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.51 ¥30.16

16.41%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.22 ¥14.82

47.75%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.38 ¥2.55

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.23 ¥1.53

56.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$0.62 ¥4.15

98.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$1.45 ¥9.69

56.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.86 ¥12.47

-1.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.28 ¥8.59

53.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$1.00 ¥6.65

3.00%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.72 ¥11.53

-2.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$7.41 ¥49.53

128.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$2.82 ¥18.85

13.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$12.35 ¥82.6

4.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$2.16 ¥14.44

3.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.73 ¥11.58

-4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.97 ¥13.14

2.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$1.04 ¥6.96

59.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.77 ¥5.13

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.99 ¥6.63

-6.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.39 ¥2.60

61.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.62 ¥4.18

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.29 ¥22.03

15.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$10.58 ¥70.8

2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.82 ¥5.48

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.56 ¥10.45

3.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.33 ¥2.20

84.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$14.32 ¥95.8

105.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.51 ¥10.09

39.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.31 ¥2.08

38.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$2.93 ¥19.57

209.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.31 ¥8.74

1.53%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$17.1K ¥114.1K

11.47%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$13.8K ¥92.3K

35.50%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$57.5 ¥385

0.52%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$8.13 ¥54.3

-0.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$10.66 ¥71.3

-1.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$40.60 ¥271

61.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$14.75 ¥98.6

20.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$4.57 ¥30.53

95.84%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$251 ¥1,681

462.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$15.1K ¥101.0K

84.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$55.3 ¥370

-2.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$22.58 ¥151

64.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$76.0 ¥508

-2.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$76.2 ¥510

38.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$285 ¥1,908

269.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$229 ¥1,529

155.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$917 ¥6,132

170.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$495 ¥3,311

148.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$2,942 ¥19.7K

373.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,613 ¥10.8K

287.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,067 ¥7,131

60.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.35

0.30%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Changzhou

$229 30.9% 60.9% $356

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Changzhou

$192 25.9% 18.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Changzhou

$104 14% 15.1% $18

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Changzhou

$72 9.7% 32.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Changzhou

$50 6.7% 40.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Changzhou

$76 10.3% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Changzhou

$19 2.5% 48.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $285 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 60% 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 $29.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $192 per month, with Changzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Changzhou

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

5,278,121

💱 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 Changzhou 160 km

From you

Shanghai
Changzhou

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 Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 60% 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 $285 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Changzhou – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $741 in Changzhou versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou 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 Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.