Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Chuzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Chuzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,206 per month in Shanghai vs $692 in Chuzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,958 per month in Shanghai vs $1,094 in Chuzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,710 per month in Shanghai vs $1,495 in Chuzhou, rent included.

Shanghai costs about 74% more than Chuzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Shanghai and Chuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 10% lower, Chuzhou 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.75 ¥32.12

$2.07 ¥14.03

129.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 ¥246

$20.85 ¥141

74.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 ¥36.62

$4.93 ¥33.33

9.94%

Cappuccino

$3.54 ¥23.97

$2.08 ¥14.06

70.19%

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

$0.54 ¥3.67

$0.42 ¥2.81

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.26

$0.26 ¥1.76

26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 ¥9.61

$0.41 ¥2.77

246.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ¥18.73

$1.43 ¥9.64

93.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 ¥14.11

$1.38 ¥9.31

51.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 ¥12.52

$2.18 ¥14.71

-15.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.22

$0.80 ¥5.41

33.75%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.45

$1.54 ¥10.43

9.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.46 ¥105

$8.90 ¥60.2

73.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.74

$2.70 ¥18.28

19.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 ¥73.1

$8.79 ¥59.4

22.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 ¥15.35

$2.14 ¥14.50

6.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.78

$1.42 ¥9.60

22.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ¥11.57

$1.58 ¥10.69

8.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ¥10.20

$1.16 ¥7.86

30.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.80

$0.92 ¥6.21

-6.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$0.90 ¥6.09

27.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.55

$0.87 ¥5.88

-22.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.73

$0.56 ¥3.80

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 ¥18.64

$3.46 ¥23.42

-20.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.94 ¥80.7

$13.29 ¥89.8

-10.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.35

$0.92 ¥6.25

-14.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.63

$1.55 ¥10.51

1.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.29 ¥1.97

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.46 ¥240

$16.73 ¥113

111.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 ¥14.75

$1.51 ¥10.23

44.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.76

$0.35 ¥2.39

17.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 ¥56.6

$8.40 ¥56.8

-0.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥7.42

$1.17 ¥7.90

-5.98%

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

$19.4K ¥130.9K

$17.0K ¥114.8K

13.94%

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

$18.0K ¥121.9K

$14.7K ¥99.4K

22.72%

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

$52.7 ¥356

$42.61 ¥288

23.63%

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

$8.84 ¥59.8

$9.61 ¥65.0

-8.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.62 ¥92.1

$11.04 ¥74.7

23.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.97 ¥318

$42.42 ¥287

10.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.24 ¥137

$13.87 ¥93.8

45.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 ¥56.8

$5.60 ¥37.84

50.00%

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

$1,274 ¥8,617

$399 ¥2,697

219.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ¥209.3K

$18.7K ¥126.3K

65.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ¥394

$42.32 ¥286

37.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.30 ¥252

$33.03 ¥223

12.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 ¥528

$68.8 ¥465

13.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.5 ¥660

$84.7 ¥573

15.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 ¥6,361

$277 ¥1,871

240.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 ¥3,827

$189 ¥1,277

199.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 ¥17.2K

$599 ¥4,050

323.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 ¥7,976

$365 ¥2,469

223.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.4K ¥97.3K

$3,609 ¥24.4K

298.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,836 ¥46.2K

$2,026 ¥13.7K

237.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,653 ¥11.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.87

-7.49%

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

Last update for Shanghai: June 8, 2026

Last update for Chuzhou: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $941 in Shanghai versus $277 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 $36.00 in Shanghai versus $21.00 in Chuzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $192 – making Chuzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai costs about 74% more than Chuzhou, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,810 per month in Shanghai and $1,038 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Shanghai and $21.00 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 $1,206 in Shanghai and $692 in Chuzhou. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chuzhou, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Shanghai at $1,206. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Chuzhou. 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.