Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Chongqing

For one person, living is cheaper in Chongqing: $722 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Chongqing
Learn more

Chongqing Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Chongqing

🇨🇳 China

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Chongqing

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

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Shanghai vs $722 in Chongqing, rent included.

Shanghai $1,256
Chongqing $722

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,175 in Chongqing, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Chongqing $1,175

A family of three spends $2,743 per month in Shanghai vs $1,629 in Chongqing, rent included.

Shanghai $2,743
Chongqing $1,629

Shanghai costs about 74% more than Chongqing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shanghai and Chongqing are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 7% lower, Chongqing 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$2.64 ¥17.62

68.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$22.26 ¥149

36.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$4.83 ¥32.27

5.38%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$2.07 ¥13.81

65.70%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.46 ¥3.11

34.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.31 ¥2.09

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$1.22 ¥8.15

0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$1.77 ¥11.84

24.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$2.01 ¥13.44

-7.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$1.66 ¥11.07

17.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$0.61 ¥4.05

63.93%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$2.25 ¥15.04

-24.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$17.76 ¥119

-1.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$3.31 ¥22.11

-2.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$10.03 ¥67.1

29.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$1.49 ¥10.00

50.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$1.28 ¥8.57

31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.23 ¥8.26

58.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$1.21 ¥8.07

42.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$0.61 ¥4.08

24.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.02 ¥6.79

-9.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$0.90 ¥6.02

-26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$0.62 ¥4.12

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.04 ¥20.32

21.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$8.98 ¥60.1

21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$0.76 ¥5.10

14.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$1.73 ¥11.55

-5.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.36 ¥2.38

72.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$22.52 ¥151

34.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$1.46 ¥9.74

41.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.31 ¥2.09

48.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$2.91 ¥19.46

203.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.32 ¥8.80

0.76%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$19.4K ¥129.8K

-0.86%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$17.2K ¥115.0K

6.11%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$45.07 ¥301

26.71%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$7.26 ¥48.52

11.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$7.19 ¥48.09

48.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$49.49 ¥331

30.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$10.40 ¥69.6

66.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$5.95 ¥39.81

52.10%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$289 ¥1,929

399.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$25.1K ¥167.8K

12.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$39.99 ¥267

33.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$29.64 ¥198

25.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$66.0 ¥441

16.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$64.4 ¥430

61.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$426 ¥2,851

139.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$196 ¥1,313

202.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$894 ¥5,977

186.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$422 ¥2,823

187.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$2,741 ¥18.3K

393.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$1,741 ¥11.6K

258.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

$1,102 ¥7,371

54.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.34

0.60%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chongqing: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Chongqing

$196 27.2% 66.9% $397

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Chongqing

$214 29.7% 9.8% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Chongqing

$90 12.5% 26.3% $32

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Chongqing

$73 10.1% 31.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Chongqing

$61 8.5% 25.8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Chongqing

$60 8.3% 21.6% $16

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Chongqing

$27 3.7% 27.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,023 in Shanghai versus $426 in Chongqing. 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 54% 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 $30.00 in Shanghai versus $22.00 in Chongqing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $214 – making Chongqing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Chongqing

🕒 Local time

22:18 10:18 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

1,564,449

💱 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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Between locations

Shanghai Chongqing 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Shanghai
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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 Chongqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Shanghai and $1,082 in Chongqing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chongqing, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,441 per month in Shanghai and $289 in Chongqing. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Shanghai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chongqing, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Shanghai at $1,256. In Chongqing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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