Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Gifu

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,312 in Gifu, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. The total is higher in Gifu despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Gifu
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Gifu Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Gifu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Gifu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,312 in Gifu.

Shanghai $1,244
Gifu $1,312

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $2,111 in Gifu.

Shanghai $1,999
Gifu $2,111

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $2,910 in Gifu.

Shanghai $2,755
Gifu $2,910

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 5% less than in Gifu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Gifu 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$7.64 ¥1,207

-40.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$31.70 ¥5,008

-4.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.98 ¥786

5.42%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.30 ¥364

42.61%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.18 ¥187

-51.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.59 ¥92.7

-38.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$2.11 ¥333

-41.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.37 ¥374

-4.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.53 ¥242

20.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.26 ¥199

55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$5.61 ¥886

-81.64%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.07 ¥328

-19.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$12.52 ¥1,977

35.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$9.47 ¥1,496

-66.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$32.60 ¥5,151

-60.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$3.76 ¥594

-40.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$2.36 ¥373

-29.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$6.41 ¥1,012

-68.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$4.16 ¥657

-60.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$3.79 ¥599

-79.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$3.49 ¥552

-73.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.24 ¥196

-49.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$1.00 ¥158

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.38 ¥535

12.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$8.04 ¥1,271

35.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.99 ¥314

-58.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.50 ¥237

7.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.57 ¥248

-61.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$55.2 ¥8,727

-46.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.13 ¥494

-32.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$3.20 ¥506

-86.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$26.12 ¥4,127

-65.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.10 ¥174

20.91%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.6K ¥3.1M

-3.04%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$16.8K ¥2.7M

11.35%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$143 ¥22.6K

-59.65%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$23.68 ¥3,741

-65.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$43.56 ¥6,881

-75.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$52.3 ¥8,270

25.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$12.83 ¥2,027

-30.24%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$315 ¥49.8K

348.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$6,158 ¥972.8K

352.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$49.14 ¥7,764

9.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$25.60 ¥4,045

44.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$45.39 ¥7,171

63.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$64.5 ¥10.2K

63.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$495 ¥78.2K

113.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$349 ¥55.1K

67.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,100 ¥173.8K

125.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$841 ¥132.9K

46.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$4,428 ¥699.5K

214.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,756 ¥277.4K

256.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.28

47.37%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Gifu: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Gifu

$349 26.6% 40.4% $236

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Gifu

$385 29.4% 64% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Gifu

$83 6.3% 31.9% $39

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Gifu

$126 9.6% 18.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Gifu

$78 5.9% 6.7% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Gifu

$211 16% 176% $134

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Gifu

$81 6.2% 123% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $495 in Gifu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $32.00 in Gifu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $385 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Gifu

🕒 Local time

19:32 7:32 PM

20:32 8:32 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

404,352

💱 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 Gifu 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Gifu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,865 in Shanghai and $1,968 in Gifu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $495 in Gifu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shanghai runs roughly 88% less than in Gifu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,414 in Shanghai versus $315 in Gifu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,312 in Gifu, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Gifu. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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 Gifu 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 Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Gifu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.