Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Fukui

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukui: $1,008 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Fukui
Learn more

Fukui Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Fukui

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Fukui

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $1,008 in Fukui, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Fukui $1,008

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,626 in Fukui, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Fukui $1,626

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $2,243 in Fukui, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Fukui $2,243

Shanghai costs about 23% more than Fukui, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Shanghai and Fukui are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Fukui 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$4.49 ¥709

1.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$32.10 ¥5,072

-5.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$3.19 ¥504

64.58%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.37 ¥375

38.40%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.80 ¥126

-28.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.43 ¥67.7

-16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$2.01 ¥317

-38.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.17 ¥343

4.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$0.85 ¥134

116.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.37 ¥216

43.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$1.24 ¥196

-16.94%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.66 ¥262

0.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$11.17 ¥1,765

51.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.44 ¥544

-7.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$15.51 ¥2,451

-16.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$5.96 ¥941

-62.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$3.21 ¥507

-48.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$5.84 ¥923

-65.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$3.13 ¥494

-46.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$1.85 ¥292

-58.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.94 ¥306

-52.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.29 ¥204

-51.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.95 ¥150

-36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.35 ¥529

13.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$6.11 ¥966

77.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.74 ¥274

-52.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.46 ¥231

10.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.46 ¥230

-58.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$53.0 ¥8,369

-44.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.21 ¥507

-34.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$1.95 ¥307

-77.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$31.16 ¥4,924

-70.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.04 ¥164

27.88%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$8,960 ¥1.4M

112.33%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$12.2K ¥1.9M

53.32%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$88.2 ¥13.9K

-34.48%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$12.78 ¥2,019

-36.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$38.13 ¥6,024

-72.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$51.4 ¥8,121

27.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$3.63 ¥573

390.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$7.13 ¥1,126

25.53%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$323 ¥51.1K

337.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$9,523 ¥1.5M

192.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$18.97 ¥2,996

184.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$12.56 ¥1,984

195.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$32.04 ¥5,062

131.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$31.48 ¥4,974

235.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$538 ¥84.9K

96.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$327 ¥51.6K

78.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,092 ¥172.5K

127.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$730 ¥115.3K

68.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$4,207 ¥664.6K

231.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,823 ¥288.1K

242.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,924 ¥304.0K

-11.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

236.00%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Fukui: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Fukui

$327 32.4% 44.1% $258

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Fukui

$269 26.7% 14.5% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Fukui

$43 4.2% 64.9% $79

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Fukui

$93 9.3% 12.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Fukui

$66 6.5% 21.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Fukui

$139 13.8% 82.2% $63

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Fukui

$72 7.1% 98.7% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $538 in Fukui. 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 12% higher in Fukui, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $32.00 in Fukui. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $269 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Fukui

🕒 Local time

18:44 6:44 PM

19:44 7:44 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

267,428

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Fukui 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Fukui

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 Fukui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai, $1,008 in Fukui – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,512 in Fukui. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fukui, 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 $32.00 in Fukui. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,244 in Shanghai and $1,008 in Fukui. That's a gap of about 23%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Fukui, where all-in costs run around $1,008, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Fukui it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Fukui – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Fukui. 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.