Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Chungju

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,450 in Chungju, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. The total is higher in Chungju despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Chungju
Learn more

Chungju Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Chungju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Chungju

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $1,450 in Chungju, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Chungju $1,450

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $2,285 in Chungju, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Chungju $2,285

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $3,121 in Chungju, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Chungju $3,121

Shanghai is about 14% cheaper than Chungju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shanghai sits 8% below the global median, while Chungju is 7% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$7.39 ₩9,829

-38.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$47.62 ₩63.3K

-36.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$6.59 ₩8,761

-20.33%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.70 ₩4,915

-11.35%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.81 ₩2,401

-68.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$1.41 ₩1,870

-74.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$3.82 ₩5,074

-67.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$4.36 ₩5,797

-47.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$2.28 ₩3,036

-19.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$3.01 ₩4,007

-34.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$3.05 ₩4,054

-66.23%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.63 ₩3,498

-36.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$11.21 ₩14.9K

51.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$7.67 ₩10.2K

-58.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$24.54 ₩32.6K

-47.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$8.71 ₩11.6K

-74.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$3.59 ₩4,769

-53.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$8.12 ₩10.8K

-75.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$5.79 ₩7,697

-71.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$5.87 ₩7,810

-86.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$3.39 ₩4,505

-72.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$2.76 ₩3,670

-77.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$1.29 ₩1,714

-53.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.35 ₩4,449

13.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$18.30 ₩24.3K

-40.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$2.39 ₩3,180

-65.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$2.94 ₩3,913

-45.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.14 ₩1,518

-46.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.60 ₩4,785

-41.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.74 ₩983

-41.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$16.81 ₩22.3K

-46.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.35 ₩1,790

-1.48%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$29.6K ₩39.4M

-35.72%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$34.1K ₩45.4M

-45.15%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$201 ₩266.7K

-71.18%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$26.62 ₩35.4K

-69.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$27.03 ₩35.9K

-61.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$52.1 ₩69.2K

26.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$12.15 ₩16.2K

46.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$11.74 ₩15.6K

-23.76%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$632 ₩840.9K

123.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$21.6K ₩28.7M

29.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$73.4 ₩97.6K

-26.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$38.03 ₩50.6K

-2.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$75.5 ₩100.4K

-1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$113 ₩150.3K

-6.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$490 ₩652.0K

115.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$356 ₩473.4K

64.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,179 ₩1.6M

110.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$733 ₩974.6K

68.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$7,100 ₩9.4M

96.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$5,588 ₩7.4M

11.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,678 ₩2.2M

1.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

4.22

-20.38%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chungju: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Chungju

$356 24.6% 39.1% $229

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Chungju

$453 31.3% 93% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Chungju

$135 9.3% 10.7% $13

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Chungju

$164 11.3% 54.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Chungju

$76 5.2% 9.6% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Chungju

$254 17.5% 233% $178

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Chungju

$12 * 0.8% 67.2% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $490 in Chungju. 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 2% higher in Shanghai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $48.00 in Chungju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $453 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇷 Chungju

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

14:59 2:59 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

208,529

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Chungju 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Chungju

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 Chungju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chungju costs about 17% more than Shanghai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $2,175 in Chungju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,244 in Shanghai and $1,450 in Chungju. That's a gap of about 17%.

Kindergarten costs $1,414 per month in Shanghai and $632 in Chungju. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Chungju at $1,450. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chungju it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Shanghai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chungju makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.