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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,247 per month in Shanghai vs $531 in Delhi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,010 per month in Shanghai vs $875 in Delhi, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,773 per month in Shanghai vs $1,219 in Delhi, rent included.

Shanghai costs about 135% more than Delhi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Shanghai and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 9% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.36 ¥29.29

$4.09 ₹388

6.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.84 ¥200

$21.13 ₹2,006

41.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥34.03

$3.96 ₹376

28.03%

Cappuccino

$3.38 ¥22.71

$2.37 ₹225

42.62%

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

$0.59 ¥3.96

$0.36 ₹34.00

63.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.44

$0.17 ₹15.87

111.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ¥7.76

$2.13 ₹202

-45.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ¥15.95

$3.19 ₹303

-25.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ¥13.89

$0.73 ₹69.8

183.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 ¥13.22

$0.52 ₹49.53

278.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.49

$0.74 ₹70.0

31.08%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.25

$1.10 ₹104

52.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.91 ¥113

$4.29 ₹407

294.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ¥22.72

$3.46 ₹329

-2.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 ¥88.2

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ¥15.59

$2.05 ₹195

13.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.72

$0.74 ₹70.6

136.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 ¥13.42

$1.04 ₹98.5

92.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.76

$0.52 ₹49.68

236.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ¥5.48

$0.28 ₹26.45

192.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.73

$0.37 ₹34.71

170.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.35

$0.45 ₹43.07

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ¥4.35

$0.31 ₹29.90

109.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.59

$5.13 ₹487

-14.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.17 ¥75.0

$8.18 ₹777

36.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.33

$1.59 ₹151

-40.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.48

$2.63 ₹250

-40.68%

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

$6.29 ₹597

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$0.44 ₹41.77

31.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.43 ¥197

$16.04 ₹1,523

83.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ¥15.02

$1.02 ₹96.4

119.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.27 ₹25.66

59.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ¥58.8

$1.54 ₹146

469.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.41

$1.05 ₹99.4

19.05%

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

$19.7K ¥132.1K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

67.08%

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

$18.2K ¥122.3K

$19.4K ₹1.8M

-6.18%

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

$61.6 ¥413

$42.31 ₹4,018

45.62%

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

$8.45 ¥56.7

$4.21 ₹400

100.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.41 ¥69.9

$6.91 ₹656

50.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ¥467

$20.33 ₹1,931

242.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 ¥110

$8.17 ₹776

100.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.3

$5.22 ₹496

69.35%

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

$1,383 ¥9,279

$95.6 ₹9,075

1346.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.0K ¥181.1K

$2,099 ₹199.3K

1185.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 ¥348

$24.80 ₹2,355

109.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.86 ¥254

$29.61 ₹2,812

27.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 ¥503

$54.3 ₹5,151

38.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ¥707

$47.37 ₹4,498

122.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ¥6,609

$272 ₹25.9K

261.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 ¥3,838

$154 ₹14.6K

271.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,470 ¥16.6K

$720 ₹68.4K

243.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 ¥8,034

$372 ₹35.3K

222.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K ¥91.6K

$2,550 ₹242.1K

435.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,149 ¥41.3K

$962 ₹91.4K

539.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 ¥11.6K

$605 ₹57.5K

186.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

8.6

-61.05%

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

Last update for Shanghai: August 30, 2026

Last update for Delhi: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Shanghai versus $272 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 187% 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 $30.00 in Shanghai versus $21.00 in Delhi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $108 – 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: $1,247 in Shanghai, $531 in Delhi – roughly 135% apart. Shanghai costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,871 per month in Shanghai and $797 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 $30.00 in Shanghai and $21.00 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 $1,247 in Shanghai and $531 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 $531, than in Shanghai at $1,247. 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.