Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Chuzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Chuzhou: $685 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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 Chuzhou
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Chuzhou Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Chuzhou

🇨🇳 China

$685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Chuzhou

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Shanghai vs $685 in Chuzhou, rent included.

Shanghai $1,222
Chuzhou $685

A couple spends around $1,971 per month in Shanghai vs $1,120 in Chuzhou, rent included.

Shanghai $1,971
Chuzhou $1,120

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

Shanghai $2,720
Chuzhou $1,555

Shanghai costs about 78% more than Chuzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Chuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 10% lower, Chuzhou 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$2.28 ¥15.15

98.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$22.28 ¥148

35.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.04

$4.76 ¥31.65

7.35%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.70

$2.30 ¥15.31

48.26%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.53 ¥3.54

9.43%

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

$0.44 ¥2.90

179.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$1.54 ¥10.23

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.52

$1.54 ¥10.28

22.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$2.07 ¥13.75

-6.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$0.84 ¥5.57

16.67%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.31

$1.32 ¥8.80

28.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$10.57 ¥70.3

61.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$3.03 ¥20.15

6.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$9.07 ¥60.4

42.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$2.09 ¥13.88

2.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$1.26 ¥8.36

37.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$1.71 ¥11.39

18.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.07 ¥7.15

61.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.90 ¥5.96

-7.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.97 ¥6.47

-5.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.89 ¥5.92

-24.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.52 ¥3.46

13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.10

$3.83 ¥25.51

-1.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$13.28 ¥88.4

-16.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$0.95 ¥6.31

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.55 ¥10.34

3.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.31 ¥2.08

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$19.20 ¥128

54.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$1.75 ¥11.66

22.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.41 ¥2.75

14.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$9.09 ¥60.5

-3.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.32 ¥8.77

1.52%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$19.3K ¥128.5K

-0.31%

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

$18.3K ¥121.7K

$17.4K ¥115.5K

5.35%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$55.5 ¥369

6.11%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$7.88 ¥52.4

0.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$7.28 ¥48.43

45.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$43.09 ¥287

50.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$16.05 ¥107

8.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$6.07 ¥40.41

49.26%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$441 ¥2,932

260.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$22.8K ¥151.9K

23.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$43.42 ¥289

25.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$34.55 ¥230

7.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$64.8 ¥431

15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$87.6 ¥583

21.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,826

$253 ¥1,683

305.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,722

$165 ¥1,095

239.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$606 ¥4,032

332.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,926

$376 ¥2,503

216.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$3,018 ¥20.1K

343.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$1,996 ¥13.3K

227.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.42

-1.75%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chuzhou: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Chuzhou

$165 24% 70.6% $395

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Chuzhou

$198 28.9% 16.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Chuzhou

$104 15.1% 15.5% $19

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Chuzhou

$69 10% 35.9% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Chuzhou

$55 8.1% 33.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Chuzhou

$71 10.3% 8.7% $6.7

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Chuzhou

$24 3.5% 33.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,026 in Shanghai versus $253 in Chuzhou. 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 Chuzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $198 – making Chuzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Chuzhou

🕒 Local time

23:38 11:38 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

3,987,054

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Shanghai vs Chuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai costs about 78% more than Chuzhou, 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 $1,833 per month in Shanghai and $1,027 in Chuzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chuzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $253 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai and $22 in Chuzhou. 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 $685 in Chuzhou. That’s a gap of about 78%.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Chuzhou, where all-in costs run around $685, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Chuzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Chuzhou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 78% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.