Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Chenzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Chenzhou: $721 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Chenzhou
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Chenzhou Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Chenzhou

🇨🇳 China

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Chenzhou

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Shanghai vs $721 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Shanghai $1,222
Chenzhou $721

A couple spends around $1,971 per month in Shanghai vs $1,197 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Shanghai $1,971
Chenzhou $1,197

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in Shanghai vs $1,674 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Shanghai $2,720
Chenzhou $1,674

Shanghai costs about 70% more than Chenzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$3.03 ¥20.15

49.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$22.13 ¥147

36.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.04

$4.86 ¥32.33

5.14%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.70

$1.54 ¥10.24

121.43%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.51 ¥3.41

13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.27 ¥1.80

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$1.29 ¥8.58

-4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$1.89 ¥12.59

22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.52

$1.97 ¥13.09

-4.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$2.38 ¥15.83

-18.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$0.79 ¥5.23

24.05%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.31

$1.72 ¥11.46

-1.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$13.15 ¥87.5

29.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$4.13 ¥27.47

-22.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$11.57 ¥77.0

11.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$0.59 ¥3.92

264.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$1.18 ¥7.82

46.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$0.73 ¥4.87

178.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.19 ¥7.89

45.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.97 ¥6.49

-14.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$1.54 ¥10.24

-40.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.61 ¥4.04

9.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.49 ¥3.23

20.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.10

$3.02 ¥20.08

24.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$12.71 ¥84.6

-13.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$1.04 ¥6.91

-13.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.57 ¥10.45

1.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.31 ¥2.05

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$15.40 ¥103

92.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$1.52 ¥10.09

40.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.29 ¥1.93

62.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$4.60 ¥30.59

90.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.29 ¥8.59

3.88%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$19.3K ¥128.3K

-0.18%

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

$18.3K ¥121.7K

$17.4K ¥115.6K

5.20%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$56.3 ¥375

4.58%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$8.94 ¥59.5

-11.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$11.27 ¥75.0

-5.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$42.59 ¥283

52.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$14.67 ¥97.6

19.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$6.48 ¥43.13

39.81%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$329 ¥2,188

382.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$16.9K ¥112.3K

67.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$84.2 ¥561

-35.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$35.01 ¥233

6.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$89.1 ¥593

-16.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$58.9 ¥392

80.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,826

$310 ¥2,061

231.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,722

$163 ¥1,086

242.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$584 ¥3,885

348.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,926

$414 ¥2,753

187.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$3,531 ¥23.5K

278.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$1,917 ¥12.8K

240.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.46

-2.89%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chenzhou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Chenzhou

$163 22.6% 70.8% $396

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Chenzhou

$215 29.8% 9.1% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Chenzhou

$120 16.7% 2% $2.4

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Chenzhou

$71 9.8% 34% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Chenzhou

$56 7.7% 33% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Chenzhou

$77 10.6% 1.1% $0.9

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Chenzhou

$20 2.7% 46.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,026 in Shanghai versus $310 in Chenzhou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai versus $22 in Chenzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $215 – making Chenzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Chenzhou

🕒 Local time

21:02 9:02 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

4,667,134

💱 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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Shanghai Chenzhou 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 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 Chenzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,222 in Shanghai, $721 in Chenzhou – roughly 70% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Shanghai and $1,081 in Chenzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chenzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $310 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Chenzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,587 per month in Shanghai and $329 in Chenzhou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Chenzhou, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Chenzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Chenzhou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 70% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.