Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Delhi Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Delhi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,192 per month in Shanghai vs $546 in Delhi, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,958 per month in Shanghai vs $874 in Delhi, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,724 per month in Shanghai vs $1,202 in Delhi, rent included.

Shanghai costs about 118% more than Delhi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Shanghai and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 11% lower, Delhi 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ¥31.97

$4.61 ₹443

2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.92 ¥243

$19.83 ₹1,909

81.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 ¥38.81

$4.16 ₹400

37.98%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ¥23.80

$2.00 ₹192

76.00%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$0.44 ₹42.25

29.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.25

$0.18 ₹17.65

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ¥9.20

$2.06 ₹198

-33.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ¥19.20

$3.41 ₹328

-16.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ¥14.20

$0.73 ₹70.3

187.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ¥12.15

$0.56 ₹53.7

221.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.13

$0.85 ₹82.0

23.53%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.35

$1.18 ₹114

42.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.78 ¥107

$4.65 ₹448

239.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ¥21.43

$3.42 ₹329

-7.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 ¥74.6

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ¥16.08

$2.12 ₹204

12.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.47

$0.82 ₹79.0

106.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.07

$0.99 ₹95.5

79.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.83

$0.63 ₹60.8

130.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.64

$0.38 ₹36.79

118.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.64

$0.53 ₹51.2

113.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.57

$0.59 ₹56.8

15.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.06

$0.36 ₹34.83

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.06

$4.01 ₹386

-29.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 ¥79.5

$9.10 ₹876

29.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.28

$1.79 ₹173

-56.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.64

$2.84 ₹273

-44.72%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.69 ₹547

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.53 ₹51.1

-22.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.05 ¥237

$11.56 ₹1,113

203.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ¥15.28

$0.57 ₹54.4

296.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.52

$0.28 ₹26.60

32.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.18 ¥55.4

$1.32 ₹127

519.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥7.80

$1.13 ₹109

1.77%

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

$19.3K ¥130.5K

$17.8K ₹1.7M

8.50%

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

$17.7K ¥120.0K

$24.2K ₹2.3M

-26.62%

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

$53.0 ¥359

$65.7 ₹6,322

-19.26%

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

$8.77 ¥59.4

$4.35 ₹419

101.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.78 ¥93.3

$8.11 ₹781

69.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.42 ¥307

$20.31 ₹1,956

123.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥135

$10.13 ₹975

97.43%

Cinema Ticket

$8.30 ¥56.2

$4.55 ₹438

82.42%

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

$1,264 ¥8,555

$78.9 ₹7,591

1503.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K ¥214.3K

$2,030 ₹195.4K

1459.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 ¥390

$27.86 ₹2,682

107.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 ¥257

$31.02 ₹2,986

22.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥521

$50.1 ₹4,824

53.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 ¥655

$35.47 ₹3,415

172.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 ¥6,466

$242 ₹23.3K

295.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,755

$137 ₹13.2K

304.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 ¥16.9K

$582 ₹56.1K

328.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ¥8,166

$322 ₹31.0K

275.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.3K ¥96.7K

$2,419 ₹232.9K

490.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,625 ¥44.8K

$975 ₹93.9K

579.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,702 ¥11.5K

$530 ₹51.0K

221.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

-60.22%

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

Last update for Shanghai: July 11, 2026

Last update for Delhi: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $955 in Shanghai versus $242 in Delhi. 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 221% higher in Shanghai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Shanghai versus $20.00 in Delhi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $116 – making Delhi 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 Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,192 in Shanghai, $546 in Delhi – roughly 118% apart. Shanghai costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,788 per month in Shanghai and $819 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, 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 $20.00 in Delhi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,192 in Shanghai and $546 in Delhi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $546, than in Shanghai at $1,192. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Delhi – 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 Delhi. 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.