Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Chifeng

For one person, living is cheaper in Chifeng: $719 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Chifeng
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Chifeng Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Chifeng

🇨🇳 China

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Chifeng

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Shanghai vs $719 in Chifeng, rent included.

Shanghai $1,222
Chifeng $719

A couple spends around $1,971 per month in Shanghai vs $1,137 in Chifeng, rent included.

Shanghai $1,971
Chifeng $1,137

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in Shanghai vs $1,555 in Chifeng, rent included.

Shanghai $2,720
Chifeng $1,555

Shanghai costs about 70% more than Chifeng, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$2.73 ¥18.20

65.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$21.77 ¥145

38.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.04

$4.83 ¥32.16

5.80%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.70

$2.96 ¥19.71

15.20%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.43 ¥2.87

34.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.29 ¥1.95

20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$0.94 ¥6.29

30.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$2.14 ¥14.23

7.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.52

$1.78 ¥11.82

5.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.59 ¥10.58

22.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$0.91 ¥6.04

7.69%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.31

$1.61 ¥10.69

5.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$12.99 ¥86.4

31.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$3.27 ¥21.76

-1.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$10.31 ¥68.6

25.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$1.81 ¥12.04

18.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$1.22 ¥8.09

41.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$1.48 ¥9.86

37.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.15 ¥7.67

50.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.74 ¥4.91

12.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.90 ¥5.97

2.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.57 ¥3.78

17.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.51 ¥3.39

15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.10

$3.20 ¥21.32

17.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$10.35 ¥68.9

6.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$0.74 ¥4.92

21.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.63 ¥10.87

-1.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.29 ¥1.93

96.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$16.79 ¥112

76.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$1.43 ¥9.52

49.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.36 ¥2.37

30.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$6.67 ¥44.37

31.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.13 ¥7.49

18.58%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$19.2K ¥127.9K

0.18%

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

$18.3K ¥121.7K

$17.0K ¥112.9K

7.78%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$45.63 ¥304

29.08%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$9.91 ¥66.0

-20.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$11.82 ¥78.6

-10.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$42.41 ¥282

52.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$14.10 ¥93.8

23.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$5.86 ¥38.98

54.61%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$329 ¥2,192

381.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$17.1K ¥113.5K

65.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$44.42 ¥296

22.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$30.68 ¥204

21.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$73.2 ¥487

1.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$71.8 ¥478

47.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,826

$275 ¥1,832

272.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,722

$195 ¥1,300

186.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$585 ¥3,894

347.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,926

$360 ¥2,398

230.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$3,050 ¥20.3K

338.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$2,069 ¥13.8K

215.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.89

-13.62%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chifeng: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Chifeng

$195 27.2% 65.1% $364

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Chifeng

$198 27.6% 16.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Chifeng

$99 13.8% 19.3% $24

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Chifeng

$84 11.7% 21.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Chifeng

$54 7.5% 34.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Chifeng

$67 9.4% 13% $10

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Chifeng

$21 2.9% 41.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,026 in Shanghai versus $275 in Chifeng. 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 Chifeng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $198 – making Chifeng the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Chifeng

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

1,175,391

💱 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 Chifeng 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Chifeng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Shanghai and $1,078 in Chifeng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chifeng, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $275 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai and $22 in Chifeng. 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 $719 in Chifeng. That makes Chifeng about 41% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chifeng, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Chifeng it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Chifeng is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 41% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.