Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Fukuyama

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukuyama: $1,134 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shanghai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Fukuyama
Learn more

Fukuyama Living Index

Jump to prices

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Fukuyama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,134

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Fukuyama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Shanghai versus $1,134 in Fukuyama.

Shanghai $1,256
Fukuyama $1,134

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,805 in Fukuyama.

Shanghai $1,999
Fukuyama $1,805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Shanghai versus $2,476 in Fukuyama.

Shanghai $2,743
Fukuyama $2,476

Living in Shanghai is roughly 11% more expensive than in Fukuyama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 7% lower, Fukuyama 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$7.51 ¥1,186

-40.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$31.20 ¥4,929

-2.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$4.90 ¥775

3.88%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$3.27 ¥517

4.89%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.83 ¥132

-25.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.52 ¥82.7

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$1.91 ¥302

-35.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$3.20 ¥505

-30.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$0.98 ¥155

88.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$0.79 ¥125

146.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$5.88 ¥929

-82.99%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$2.07 ¥326

-17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$8.75 ¥1,382

99.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$3.39 ¥535

-4.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$10.76 ¥1,700

20.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$4.99 ¥788

-55.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$2.33 ¥369

-27.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$4.95 ¥782

-60.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$3.66 ¥578

-52.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$1.87 ¥296

-59.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.64 ¥259

-43.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$0.99 ¥157

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$0.39 ¥62.4

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.85 ¥608

-4.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$7.75 ¥1,224

40.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$1.64 ¥259

-46.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$3.19 ¥503

-48.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$1.45 ¥229

-57.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$52.9 ¥8,358

-42.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$3.39 ¥535

-39.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$3.82 ¥603

-87.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$28.88 ¥4,563

-69.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.02 ¥162

30.39%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$12.4K ¥2.0M

55.18%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$15.5K ¥2.4M

17.94%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$103 ¥16.3K

-44.66%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$18.57 ¥2,934

-56.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$30.10 ¥4,755

-64.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$51.1 ¥8,072

26.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$1.92 ¥304

800.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$12.19 ¥1,926

-25.76%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$651 ¥102.9K

121.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$6,461 ¥1.0M

336.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$37.55 ¥5,933

42.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$31.32 ¥4,949

18.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$63.5 ¥10.0K

21.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$102 ¥16.1K

1.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$535 ¥84.6K

91.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$335 ¥53.0K

77.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$1,101 ¥174.0K

132.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$745 ¥117.7K

62.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$4,284 ¥676.8K

215.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$1,742 ¥275.2K

258.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

$1,387 ¥219.1K

22.53%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Fukuyama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Fukuyama

$335 29.6% 43.5% $258

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Fukuyama

$250 22% 5.1% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Fukuyama

$105 9.3% 13.7% $17

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Fukuyama

$135 11.9% 26.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Fukuyama

$75 6.7% 8.7% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Fukuyama

$152 13.4% 100% $76

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Fukuyama

$81 7.2% 118% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,023 in Shanghai and $535 in Fukuyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $31.00 in Fukuyama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $250 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Fukuyama

🕒 Local time

08:26 8:26 AM

09:26 9:26 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

460,930

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Fukuyama 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Fukuyama

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 Fukuyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukuyama wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Shanghai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fukuyama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Shanghai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,023 in Shanghai versus $535 in Fukuyama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,441 in Shanghai versus $651 in Fukuyama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Shanghai pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,134 in Fukuyama versus $1,256 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fukuyama but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Fukuyama 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 Fukuyama 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 Fukuyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.