Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Chengdu

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $726 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
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Chengdu Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Chengdu

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Shanghai vs $726 in Chengdu, rent included.

Shanghai $1,222
Chengdu $726

A couple spends around $1,971 per month in Shanghai vs $1,170 in Chengdu, rent included.

Shanghai $1,971
Chengdu $1,170

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in Shanghai vs $1,614 in Chengdu, rent included.

Shanghai $2,720
Chengdu $1,614

Shanghai costs about 68% more than Chengdu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Shanghai and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 10% lower, Chengdu 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$2.92 ¥19.43

55.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$22.28 ¥148

35.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.03

$4.85 ¥32.28

5.36%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.69

$3.00 ¥19.94

13.67%

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

$0.26 ¥1.73

34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$1.51 ¥10.06

-18.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$2.28 ¥15.20

1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.51

$1.85 ¥12.29

1.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.49 ¥9.89

30.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$0.99 ¥6.58

-1.01%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.30

$1.61 ¥10.70

5.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$14.31 ¥95.2

18.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$3.64 ¥24.25

-11.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$11.02 ¥73.3

17.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$1.90 ¥12.62

13.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$1.39 ¥9.23

24.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.50

$1.04 ¥6.91

95.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.20 ¥7.97

44.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.74 ¥4.91

12.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.69 ¥4.56

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.64 ¥4.23

4.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.58 ¥3.83

1.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.09

$3.69 ¥24.53

2.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$4.37 ¥29.08

152.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥5.99

$0.84 ¥5.58

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.48 ¥9.82

8.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.29 ¥1.93

96.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$25.23 ¥168

17.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$1.33 ¥8.83

60.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.31 ¥2.07

51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$4.37 ¥29.07

100.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.27 ¥8.48

5.51%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$19.6K ¥130.7K

-2.01%

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

$18.3K ¥121.6K

$18.0K ¥120.1K

1.29%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$46.65 ¥310

26.26%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$9.40 ¥62.6

-15.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$12.87 ¥85.6

-17.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$27.11 ¥180

139.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$11.21 ¥74.6

55.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$6.17 ¥41.02

46.84%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$1,161 ¥7,724

36.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$15.3K ¥101.5K

85.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$25.36 ¥169

115.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$27.52 ¥183

35.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$57.1 ¥380

30.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$53.2 ¥354

99.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,825

$425 ¥2,829

141.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,721

$231 ¥1,540

141.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$755 ¥5,026

246.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,925

$478 ¥3,178

149.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$3,476 ¥23.1K

284.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$1,845 ¥12.3K

253.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

$1,278 ¥8,502

33.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.38

-0.59%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Chengdu

$231 31.9% 58.6% $328

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Chengdu

$195 26.8% 17.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Chengdu

$73 10.1% 40.1% $49

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Chengdu

$89 12.3% 16.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Chengdu

$39 5.4% 52.4% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Chengdu

$69 9.5% 10.9% $8.5

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Chengdu

$29 4% 19.5% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,026 in Shanghai versus $425 in Chengdu. 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 34% 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 in Shanghai versus $22 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $195 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

20,937,757

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shanghai Chengdu 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 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 Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,222 in Shanghai, $726 in Chengdu – Chengdu comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Shanghai and $1,090 in Chengdu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai and $22 in Chengdu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,222 in Shanghai and $726 in Chengdu. That makes Chengdu about 41% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Chengdu, where all-in costs run around $726, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Chengdu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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