Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Fukuoka

For one person, living costs are similar in Shanghai and in Fukuoka: $1,244 and $1,259 a month, rent and utilities included.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Fukuoka
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Fukuoka Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Fukuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Fukuoka

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $1,259 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Fukuoka $1,259

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $2,001 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Fukuoka $2,001

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $2,743 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Fukuoka $2,743

Shanghai is about 1% cheaper than Fukuoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Fukuoka are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Fukuoka 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$7.20 ¥1,138

-36.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$42.93 ¥6,783

-29.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$5.84 ¥922

-10.10%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.77 ¥596

-13.00%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.03 ¥163

-44.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.70 ¥111

-48.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$3.79 ¥599

-67.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.18 ¥344

4.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.54 ¥243

19.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.91 ¥302

2.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$6.64 ¥1,050

-84.49%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.29 ¥362

-27.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$18.31 ¥2,893

-7.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$5.40 ¥853

-40.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$19.00 ¥3,002

-32.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$3.54 ¥560

-36.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.81 ¥287

-8.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$2.87 ¥453

-29.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$3.36 ¥531

-50.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.15 ¥340

-64.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.59 ¥409

-64.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.02 ¥161

-38.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.93 ¥147

-35.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.79 ¥599

0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$6.49 ¥1,025

67.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.71 ¥270

-52.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.81 ¥286

-11.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.47 ¥232

-58.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$41.37 ¥6,537

-28.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.91 ¥618

-46.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$2.09 ¥331

-79.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$17.67 ¥2,792

-48.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.11 ¥175

19.82%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$21.5K ¥3.4M

-11.64%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$17.6K ¥2.8M

6.20%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$207 ¥32.8K

-72.12%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$25.04 ¥3,955

-67.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$32.65 ¥5,159

-67.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$53.8 ¥8,506

22.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$10.91 ¥1,724

-17.97%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$126 ¥19.8K

1025.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$12.4K ¥2.0M

124.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$49.44 ¥7,811

9.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$25.89 ¥4,090

43.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$67.1 ¥10.6K

10.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$48.07 ¥7,594

119.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$486 ¥76.8K

117.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$303 ¥47.8K

93.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,233 ¥194.8K

101.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$730 ¥115.4K

68.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$6,329 ¥1.0M

120.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$2,696 ¥425.9K

131.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,657 ¥261.8K

3.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

1.97

70.56%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Fukuoka: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Fukuoka

$303 24% 48.2% $282

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Fukuoka

$318 25.3% 35.4% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Fukuoka

$86 6.8% 29.7% $36

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Fukuoka

$151 12% 42% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Fukuoka

$76 6% 9.5% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Fukuoka

$265 21.1% 247% $189

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Fukuoka

$62 4.9% 70.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $486 in Fukuoka. 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 3% higher in Shanghai, 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 $43.00 in Fukuoka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $318 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Fukuoka

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

17:48 5:48 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

1,612,392

💱 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 Fukuoka 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Fukuoka

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 Fukuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai, $1,259 in Fukuoka – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,889 in Fukuoka. 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,414 per month in Shanghai and $126 in Fukuoka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Fukuoka, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Fukuoka at $1,259. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fukuoka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Fukuoka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,244 in Shanghai to $1,259 in Fukuoka. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Shanghai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fukuoka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.