Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Dalian Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Dalian

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,220 in Shanghai versus $798 in Dalian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,946 in Shanghai versus $1,254 in Dalian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,672 in Shanghai versus $1,711 in Dalian.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 53% more expensive than Dalian, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 9% lower, Dalian 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.73 ¥32.39

$3.40 ¥23.29

39.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.90 ¥253

$24.55 ¥168

50.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.41 ¥37.03

$4.97 ¥34.03

8.85%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥23.41

$3.13 ¥21.42

9.27%

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

$0.55 ¥3.76

$0.51 ¥3.48

7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ¥2.32

$0.24 ¥1.64

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 ¥9.63

$0.82 ¥5.64

71.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ¥19.67

$1.54 ¥10.55

86.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ¥14.23

$1.60 ¥10.94

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ¥12.30

$1.45 ¥9.93

24.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.18

$0.91 ¥6.24

15.38%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥11.14

$2.01 ¥13.78

-18.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.36 ¥105

$19.42 ¥133

-20.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 ¥21.10

$2.69 ¥18.44

14.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 ¥75.1

$10.20 ¥69.9

7.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥16.24

$1.28 ¥8.78

85.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ¥12.13

$1.16 ¥7.91

52.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.88

$1.33 ¥9.09

30.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥10.05

$0.71 ¥4.86

107.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.37

$0.67 ¥4.61

16.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.71

$0.72 ¥4.91

56.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.63

$0.75 ¥5.17

-9.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.10

$0.60 ¥4.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.28

$3.42 ¥23.46

-17.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 ¥81.2

$17.45 ¥120

-32.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.45

$0.83 ¥5.70

-3.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.98

$1.51 ¥10.36

5.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥3.00

$0.29 ¥2.01

51.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.13 ¥241

$27.80 ¥190

26.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 ¥15.09

$1.36 ¥9.33

61.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.80

$0.40 ¥2.72

2.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ¥56.5

$4.04 ¥27.69

104.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥7.56

$1.15 ¥7.87

-4.35%

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

$19.8K ¥135.7K

$17.8K ¥122.2K

11.07%

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

$18.1K ¥124.2K

$16.0K ¥109.7K

13.22%

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

$51.3 ¥351

$43.53 ¥298

17.80%

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

$8.47 ¥58.0

$9.10 ¥62.3

-6.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.92 ¥95.4

$11.45 ¥78.4

21.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.61 ¥319

$36.04 ¥247

29.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.15 ¥138

$23.92 ¥164

-15.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ¥56.6

$6.44 ¥44.10

28.26%

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

$1,309 ¥8,969

$455 ¥3,118

187.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K ¥219.3K

$9,374 ¥64.2K

241.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 ¥399

$56.4 ¥386

3.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥261

$51.6 ¥354

-26.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 ¥540

$107 ¥734

-26.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 ¥660

$95.1 ¥651

1.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ¥6,595

$352 ¥2,412

173.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 ¥3,859

$207 ¥1,418

172.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 ¥17.1K

$636 ¥4,357

291.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 ¥8,198

$365 ¥2,498

228.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥94.9K

$2,664 ¥18.3K

419.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,279 ¥49.9K

$1,650 ¥11.3K

341.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 ¥11.4K

$1,098 ¥7,523

52.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

4.18

-14.35%

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

Last update for Shanghai: April 25, 2026

Last update for Dalian: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Shanghai and $352 in Dalian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 52% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $37.00 in Shanghai vs $25.00 in Dalian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $222 per month, with Dalian cheaper across the board.

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 Dalian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Dalian differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,220 vs $798 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shanghai pays 52% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Shanghai versus $352 in Dalian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,309 in Shanghai versus $455 in Dalian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $798 in Dalian versus $1,220 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dalian but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Dalian the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Dalian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.