Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Dongying Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Dongying

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,236 in Shanghai versus $707 in Dongying.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,976 in Shanghai versus $1,130 in Dongying.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,717 in Shanghai versus $1,553 in Dongying.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 75% more expensive than in Dongying, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Dongying 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.54

$2.83 ¥19.00

61.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.50 ¥198

$21.57 ¥145

36.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥36.01

$4.73 ¥31.73

13.53%

Cappuccino

$3.21 ¥21.50

$2.98 ¥20.00

7.72%

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

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.47 ¥3.12

29.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.29 ¥1.96

31.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.14

$0.93 ¥6.21

30.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ¥18.17

$2.13 ¥14.30

27.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ¥13.14

$1.88 ¥12.62

4.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 ¥12.38

$1.61 ¥10.79

14.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.96

$0.98 ¥6.54

6.12%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.49

$1.61 ¥10.79

-2.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.49 ¥117

$12.95 ¥86.8

35.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 ¥22.24

$3.27 ¥21.92

1.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.58 ¥91.0

$10.33 ¥69.3

31.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.21

$1.82 ¥12.23

16.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.84

$1.22 ¥8.16

45.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ¥13.34

$1.54 ¥10.35

29.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.85

$1.14 ¥7.65

55.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.44

$0.69 ¥4.61

17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.78

$0.90 ¥6.02

12.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ¥4.69

$0.57 ¥3.82

22.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ¥4.44

$0.52 ¥3.48

26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.47

$3.04 ¥20.40

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.30 ¥69.1

$10.70 ¥71.7

-3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$0.75 ¥5.05

25.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ¥10.59

$1.57 ¥10.54

0.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.27 ¥1.81

118.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.87 ¥200

$16.89 ¥113

76.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ¥14.84

$1.35 ¥9.05

63.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.33 ¥2.19

42.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ¥60.0

$6.80 ¥45.56

31.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$1.13 ¥7.60

13.27%

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

$19.6K ¥131.1K

$19.3K ¥129.2K

1.46%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$17.3K ¥116.2K

9.51%

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

$59.3 ¥398

$45.01 ¥302

31.82%

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

$8.62 ¥57.8

$9.67 ¥64.8

-10.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.90 ¥66.4

$11.86 ¥79.5

-16.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 ¥439

$41.86 ¥281

56.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.45 ¥110

$14.06 ¥94.3

17.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.09 ¥60.9

$5.98 ¥40.10

52.01%

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

$1,439 ¥9,645

$333 ¥2,230

332.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ¥172.7K

$16.5K ¥110.6K

56.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 ¥356

$43.72 ¥293

21.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.80 ¥253

$30.89 ¥207

22.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥498

$72.8 ¥488

1.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ¥720

$71.6 ¥480

50.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 ¥6,748

$280 ¥1,877

259.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 ¥3,784

$195 ¥1,309

189.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 ¥16.1K

$590 ¥3,952

308.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 ¥8,126

$355 ¥2,377

241.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.6K

$3,060 ¥20.5K

351.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,147 ¥41.2K

$2,061 ¥13.8K

198.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 ¥11.6K

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: September 5, 2026

Last update for Dongying: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,007 in Shanghai and $280 in Dongying. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29.00 in Shanghai vs $22.00 in Dongying for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $200 per month, with Dongying 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 Dongying: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongying is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,854 in Shanghai and $1,061 in Dongying 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: $1,007 in Shanghai versus $280 in Dongying. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,439 in Shanghai versus $333 in Dongying. 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 $707 in Dongying versus $1,236 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongying but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Dongying 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 Dongying gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.