Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Dili

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $1,574 in Dili, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dili outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Dili
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Dili Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Dili

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,574

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Dili

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

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Shanghai vs $1,574 in Dili, rent included.

Shanghai $1,250
Dili $1,574

A couple spends around $2,019 per month in Shanghai vs $2,466 in Dili, rent included.

Shanghai $2,019
Dili $2,466

A family of three spends $2,789 per month in Shanghai vs $3,359 in Dili, rent included.

Shanghai $2,789
Dili $3,359

Shanghai is about 21% cheaper than Dili, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Shanghai sits 7% below the global median, while Dili is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.40

$5.13 $5.13

-11.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥197

$42.43 $42.43

-30.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.08

$7.91 $7.91

-35.52%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.88

$4.18 $4.18

-18.18%

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

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.63 $1.63

-62.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$2.76 $2.76

-86.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.07

$2.57 $2.57

-52.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.31

$4.46 $4.46

-48.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.46

$2.37 $2.37

-21.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.45

$2.52 $2.52

-20.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.83

$0.96 $0.96

6.25%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.46

$2.68 $2.68

-35.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

$2.05 $2.05

738.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.39

$9.41 $9.41

-64.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.5

$15.78 $15.78

-18.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.51

$3.29 $3.29

-34.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.65

$1.85 $1.85

-5.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.96

$2.49 $2.49

-22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.23

$2.26 $2.26

-25.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$1.24 $1.24

-37.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.15 $1.15

-19.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$0.85 $0.85

-27.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.98 $0.98

-40.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.60

$3.08 $3.08

24.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.1

$11.95 $11.95

-8.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.59

$2.19 $2.19

-61.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.71

$2.89 $2.89

-44.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.24 $0.24

145.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥202

$29.78 $29.78

1.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.77

$3.52 $3.52

-41.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$3.58 $3.58

-86.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.8

$19.75 $19.75

-55.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.44 $1.44

-11.81%

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

$19.6K ¥131.0K

$18.0K $18.0K

8.98%

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

$18.6K ¥124.2K

$16.7K $16.7K

11.10%

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

$57.2 ¥382

$152 $152

-62.29%

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

$8.06 ¥53.8

$27.49 $27.49

-70.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.3

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$49.46 $49.46

30.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

$6.17 $6.17

43.27%

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

$1,437 ¥9,605

$1,477 $1,477

-2.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.5K

$16.1K $16.1K

74.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥365

$61.0 $61.0

-10.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥243

$30.46 $30.46

19.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$79.3 $79.3

-4.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥695

$60.3 $60.3

72.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,945

$831 $831

25.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,933

$759 $759

-22.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

$2,739 $2,739

-9.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,268

$1,504 $1,504

-17.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$3,656 $3,656

-53.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

5.37

-37.43%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dili: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Dili

$759 47.9% 29% $171

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Dili

$275 17.3% 16% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Dili

$104 6.6% 14.6% $18

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Dili

$154 9.7% 43.8% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Dili

$62 3.9% 24.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Dili

$179 * 11.3% 136% $103

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Dili

$52 3.3% 40.9% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,039 in Shanghai versus $831 in Dili. 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 113% higher in Dili, 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 $42.00 in Dili. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $275 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇹🇱 Dili

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

12:41 12:41 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

222,323 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Dili 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Dili

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 Dili: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dili is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,874 per month in Shanghai and $2,361 in Dili. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shanghai, 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 $42.00 in Dili. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,250 in Shanghai and $1,574 in Dili. That's a gap of about 26%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Dili at $1,574. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dili it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shanghai – 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 Shanghai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dili makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.