Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Foshan Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Foshan

😐 Solo nomad: Shanghai is 13.5% more expensive than Foshan without rent, and 63.7% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Shanghai is 15.6% more expensive than Foshan without rent, and 63.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Shanghai
Foshan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.97 ¥34.00
$3.23 ¥22.11
53.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.17 ¥247
$22.52 ¥154
60.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.42 ¥37.09
$4.98 ¥34.10
8.84%
Cappuccino
$3.56 ¥24.35
$3.11 ¥21.28
14.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ¥3.65
$0.49 ¥3.37
8.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ¥2.28
$0.28 ¥1.89
17.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.35 ¥9.24
$1.09 ¥7.48
23.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ¥18.90
$1.63 ¥11.12
69.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Shanghai
Foshan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.13 ¥14.56
$1.73 ¥11.86
23.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 ¥12.60
$1.97 ¥13.50
-6.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.05 ¥7.20
$1.24 ¥8.46
-15.32%
Eggs
$1.68 ¥11.46
$1.82 ¥12.45
-7.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.58 ¥107
$12.87 ¥88.1
21.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.24 ¥22.16
$4.05 ¥27.70
-20.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.83 ¥74.1
$13.50 ¥92.3
-19.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.37 ¥16.24
$1.86 ¥12.75
27.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ¥11.59
$1.26 ¥8.64
34.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.80 ¥12.29
$1.79 ¥12.22
0.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.48 ¥10.10
$1.41 ¥9.68
4.96%
Potato (1kg)
$0.85 ¥5.84
$1.04 ¥7.14
-18.27%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 ¥8.00
$1.06 ¥7.24
10.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.62 ¥4.25
$0.70 ¥4.78
-11.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 ¥4.16
$0.57 ¥3.90
7.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.81 ¥19.20
$3.38 ¥23.12
-16.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.89 ¥81.3
$10.12 ¥69.3
17.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 ¥5.39
$0.91 ¥6.23
-13.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 ¥10.74
$1.45 ¥9.92
8.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Shanghai
Foshan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.44 ¥2.98
$0.29 ¥1.99
51.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.93 ¥239
$10.93 ¥74.8
219.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 ¥15.35
$1.64 ¥11.19
36.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 ¥2.59
$0.37 ¥2.54
2.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.23 ¥56.3
$6.65 ¥45.49
23.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 ¥7.88
$1.17 ¥8.02
-1.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.9K ¥136.0K
$21.0K ¥143.5K
-5.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.8K ¥122.0K
$19.8K ¥135.4K
-9.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shanghai
Foshan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$52.2 ¥357
$66.8 ¥457
-21.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.70 ¥59.5
$10.22 ¥69.9
-14.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.58 ¥92.9
$12.80 ¥87.5
6.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Shanghai
Foshan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.31 ¥317
$66.3 ¥453
-30.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.45 ¥140
$20.06 ¥137
1.94%
Cinema Ticket
$8.26 ¥56.5
$6.32 ¥43.23
30.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Shanghai
Foshan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,266 ¥8,662
$417 ¥2,852
203.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.9K ¥218.5K
$18.3K ¥125.5K
74.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Shanghai
Foshan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 ¥409
$43.69 ¥299
36.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.23 ¥261
$27.89 ¥191
37.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.2 ¥528
$69.9 ¥478
10.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.2 ¥658
$78.5 ¥537
22.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Shanghai
Foshan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$948 ¥6,488
$281 ¥1,922
237.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$572 ¥3,914
$145 ¥993
294.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,473 ¥16.9K
$580 ¥3,968
326.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,206 ¥8,251
$320 ¥2,189
276.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$14.1K ¥96.4K
$4,254 ¥29.1K
231.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,213 ¥49.3K
$1,794 ¥12.3K
302.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Shanghai
Foshan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,682 ¥11.5K
$805 ¥5,505
108.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.58
4.04
-11.39%

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

Last update for Shanghai: April 12, 2026

Last update for Foshan: April 12, 2026

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 other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities