Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Datong

For one person, living is cheaper in Datong: $709 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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 Datong
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Datong Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Datong

🇨🇳 China

$709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Datong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Shanghai versus $709 in Datong.

Shanghai $1,222
Datong $709

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,971 in Shanghai versus $1,127 in Datong.

Shanghai $1,971
Datong $1,127

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,720 in Shanghai versus $1,545 in Datong.

Shanghai $2,720
Datong $1,545

Living in Shanghai is roughly 72% more expensive than in Datong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Datong 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$2.74 ¥18.23

65.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$21.65 ¥144

39.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.04

$4.98 ¥33.15

2.61%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.70

$2.95 ¥19.65

15.59%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.46 ¥3.08

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.27 ¥1.77

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$0.88 ¥5.88

39.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$2.03 ¥13.50

13.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.52

$1.80 ¥11.99

4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.55 ¥10.28

25.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$0.96 ¥6.36

2.08%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.31

$1.61 ¥10.71

5.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$13.09 ¥87.1

30.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$3.23 ¥21.48

-0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$10.09 ¥67.1

28.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$1.81 ¥12.01

18.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$1.20 ¥8.01

44.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$1.50 ¥9.98

35.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.14 ¥7.57

51.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.73 ¥4.87

13.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.92 ¥6.12

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.56 ¥3.70

19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.51 ¥3.42

15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.10

$3.10 ¥20.62

21.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$10.40 ¥69.2

6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$0.76 ¥5.05

18.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.64 ¥10.91

-2.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.27 ¥1.77

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$16.53 ¥110

79.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$1.41 ¥9.35

51.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.35 ¥2.35

34.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$6.70 ¥44.57

30.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.17 ¥7.80

14.53%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$19.4K ¥129.2K

-0.81%

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

$18.3K ¥121.7K

$17.2K ¥114.2K

6.54%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$45.68 ¥304

28.94%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$9.63 ¥64.1

-17.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$11.68 ¥77.8

-9.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$41.21 ¥274

57.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$13.73 ¥91.4

27.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$5.87 ¥39.05

54.34%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$337 ¥2,242

370.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$17.0K ¥113.2K

66.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$43.28 ¥288

26.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$30.52 ¥203

21.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$72.2 ¥480

3.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$72.7 ¥484

46.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,826

$274 ¥1,821

274.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,722

$189 ¥1,257

196.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$594 ¥3,955

340.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,926

$358 ¥2,383

232.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$3,019 ¥20.1K

342.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$2,019 ¥13.4K

223.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.89

-13.62%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Datong: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Datong

$189 26.6% 66.2% $370

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Datong

$198 27.9% 16.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Datong

$98 13.9% 19.8% $24

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Datong

$84 11.8% 21.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Datong

$53 7.5% 36.1% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Datong

$67 9.5% 13.4% $10

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Datong

$21 2.9% 42.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,026 in Shanghai and $274 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30 in Shanghai vs $22 in Datong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $198 per month, with Datong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Datong

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

3,318,057

💱 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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Between locations

Shanghai Datong 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Datong

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 Datong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Datong wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Shanghai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Datong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,833 in Shanghai and $1,064 in Datong to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,026 in Shanghai versus $274 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,587 in Shanghai versus $337 in Datong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $709 in Datong versus $1,222 in Shanghai, a $800 budget is realistic in Datong but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Datong 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 Datong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.