Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Guilin

For one person, living is cheaper in Guilin: $659 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Guilin
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Guilin Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Guilin

🇨🇳 China

$659

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Guilin

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $659 in Guilin, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Guilin $659

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,058 in Guilin, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Guilin $1,058

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $1,457 in Guilin, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Guilin $1,457

Shanghai costs about 89% more than Guilin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shanghai and Guilin are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Guilin 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$2.22 ¥14.85

105.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$15.16 ¥101

99.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$3.05 ¥20.39

72.13%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.14 ¥14.32

53.27%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.42 ¥2.81

35.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.31 ¥2.08

16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$0.81 ¥5.40

51.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.14 ¥14.33

6.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.46 ¥9.77

26.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.25 ¥8.38

56.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$0.62 ¥4.16

66.13%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.83 ¥12.26

-8.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$13.25 ¥88.6

28.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.42 ¥22.86

-6.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$11.19 ¥74.8

15.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$1.46 ¥9.74

53.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.18 ¥7.90

40.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.04 ¥6.92

94.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$0.94 ¥6.28

76.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.73 ¥4.90

5.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.88 ¥5.89

5.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.69 ¥4.60

-8.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.43 ¥2.91

39.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.75 ¥25.10

1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$13.16 ¥88.0

-17.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.84 ¥5.63

-2.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.45 ¥9.67

11.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.29 ¥1.91

110.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$17.97 ¥120

63.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.31 ¥8.73

61.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.29 ¥1.94

48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$7.79 ¥52.1

16.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.21 ¥8.10

9.92%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.2K ¥128.5K

-1.03%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$17.4K ¥116.4K

7.42%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$24.59 ¥164

135.10%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$4.89 ¥32.69

65.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$11.49 ¥76.8

-8.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$41.59 ¥278

57.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$14.65 ¥98.0

21.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$5.33 ¥35.63

67.92%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$407 ¥2,719

247.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$15.8K ¥105.5K

76.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$43.52 ¥291

24.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$31.64 ¥212

17.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$75.2 ¥503

-1.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$74.2 ¥496

42.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$294 ¥1,967

258.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$183 ¥1,226

218.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$624 ¥4,173

298.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$372 ¥2,486

231.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$1,334 ¥8,916

944.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,980 ¥13.2K

215.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$497 ¥3,322

244.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Guilin: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Guilin

$183 27.8% 68.6% $401

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Guilin

$196 29.7% 16.5% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Guilin

$101 15.3% 17.1% $21

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Guilin

$64 9.7% 39.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Guilin

$52 7.9% 37.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Guilin

$41 6.2% 46.4% $35

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Guilin

$22 3.3% 39.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $294 in Guilin. 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 244% higher in Shanghai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $15.00 in Guilin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $196 – making Guilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Guilin

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

4,931,137

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shanghai Guilin 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Shanghai vs Guilin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 89%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $989 in Guilin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guilin, 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 $15.00 in Guilin. 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 $659 in Guilin. That's a gap of about 89%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guilin, where all-in costs run around $659, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Guilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Guilin. 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.