Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Ebina

For one person, living is cheaper in Ebina: $1,139 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shanghai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Ebina
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Ebina Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Ebina

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Ebina

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,139 in Ebina.

Shanghai $1,244
Ebina $1,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,808 in Ebina.

Shanghai $1,999
Ebina $1,808

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $2,478 in Ebina.

Shanghai $2,755
Ebina $2,478

Living in Shanghai is roughly 9% more expensive than in Ebina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Ebina 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$6.36 ¥1,005

-28.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$31.48 ¥4,974

-4.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.38 ¥692

19.86%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.40 ¥379

36.67%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.97 ¥153

-41.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.73 ¥116

-50.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.88 ¥297

-34.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$3.19 ¥504

-28.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.24 ¥195

48.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$0.91 ¥144

115.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$3.72 ¥587

-72.31%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.43 ¥226

16.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$15.97 ¥2,524

6.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.22 ¥509

-0.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$17.07 ¥2,696

-24.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$4.91 ¥775

-54.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.28 ¥202

29.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$3.73 ¥590

-45.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$2.57 ¥406

-35.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.46 ¥389

-68.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$3.09 ¥488

-69.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.14 ¥180

-44.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.89 ¥141

-32.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.79 ¥599

0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$9.35 ¥1,477

16.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.84 ¥291

-55.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$2.18 ¥344

-26.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.44 ¥228

-57.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$52.8 ¥8,336

-44.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.09 ¥488

-31.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$2.91 ¥460

-85.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$15.53 ¥2,453

-41.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.05 ¥166

26.67%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$21.5K ¥3.4M

-11.61%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$15.0K ¥2.4M

24.47%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$118 ¥18.6K

-50.88%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$24.23 ¥3,827

-66.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$30.50 ¥4,818

-65.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$52.1 ¥8,225

26.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$19.21 ¥3,036

-7.24%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$11.51 ¥1,818

-22.24%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$284 ¥44.8K

398.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$14.4K ¥2.3M

93.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$32.13 ¥5,076

68.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$32.11 ¥5,074

15.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$60.6 ¥9,566

22.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$63.1 ¥9,964

67.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$534 ¥84.4K

97.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$337 ¥53.2K

73.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,105 ¥174.5K

124.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$731 ¥115.5K

68.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$3,659 ¥578.1K

280.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,518 ¥239.9K

311.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,923 ¥303.7K

-11.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.02

66.34%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ebina: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Ebina

$337 29.6% 42.4% $248

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Ebina

$278 24.4% 18.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Ebina

$85 7.4% 30.7% $37

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Ebina

$115 10.1% 8.8% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Ebina

$75 6.6% 10.2% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Ebina

$172 15.1% 126% $96

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Ebina

$76 6.7% 111% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $534 in Ebina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ebina pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $31.00 in Ebina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $278 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Ebina

🕒 Local time

10:51 10:51 AM

11:51 11:51 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

130,678

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Shanghai Ebina 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Ebina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ebina is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and leisure. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Ebina. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $534 in Ebina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Shanghai pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ebina – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,139 in Ebina versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ebina but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Ebina 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.

Safety-wise, Shanghai and Ebina are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ebina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.