Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Guiyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Guiyang: $716 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Guiyang
Learn more

Guiyang Living Index

Jump to prices

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Guiyang

🇨🇳 China

$716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Guiyang

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $716 in Guiyang, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Guiyang $716

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,134 in Guiyang, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Guiyang $1,134

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $1,553 in Guiyang, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Guiyang $1,553

Shanghai costs about 74% more than Guiyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Guiyang are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Guiyang 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$2.84 ¥18.97

60.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$21.82 ¥146

38.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.78 ¥31.98

9.83%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.95 ¥19.73

11.19%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.44 ¥2.92

29.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.29 ¥1.96

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$0.90 ¥6.01

36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.07 ¥13.86

9.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.81 ¥12.10

1.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.56 ¥10.43

25.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$0.97 ¥6.48

6.19%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.59 ¥10.65

5.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$12.62 ¥84.4

34.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.28 ¥21.93

-2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$10.06 ¥67.3

28.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$1.82 ¥12.14

23.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.20 ¥8.00

38.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.49 ¥9.99

35.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$1.11 ¥7.39

49.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.69 ¥4.61

11.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.91 ¥6.06

2.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.56 ¥3.71

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.52 ¥3.48

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.16 ¥21.13

20.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$10.37 ¥69.3

4.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.81 ¥5.40

1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.63 ¥10.90

-1.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.29 ¥1.95

110.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$16.97 ¥113

73.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.35 ¥9.03

56.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.35 ¥2.36

22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$6.60 ¥44.10

37.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.18 ¥7.90

12.71%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.2K ¥128.1K

-0.70%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$17.1K ¥114.6K

9.15%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$45.97 ¥307

25.76%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$9.69 ¥64.8

-16.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$11.79 ¥78.8

-11.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$41.04 ¥274

60.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$13.92 ¥93.1

28.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$6.08 ¥40.65

47.20%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$331 ¥2,211

327.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$16.7K ¥111.6K

66.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$44.28 ¥296

21.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$30.65 ¥205

21.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$72.0 ¥481

3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$70.7 ¥473

49.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$278 ¥1,862

279.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$195 ¥1,307

199.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$581 ¥3,888

327.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$367 ¥2,451

236.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$3,040 ¥20.3K

358.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$2,022 ¥13.5K

209.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.89

-13.62%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Guiyang: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Guiyang

$195 27.3% 66.6% $389

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Guiyang

$197 27.5% 16.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Guiyang

$98 13.7% 19.7% $24

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Guiyang

$84 11.7% 20.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Guiyang

$53 7.4% 36.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Guiyang

$67 9.4% 11.7% $8.9

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Guiyang

$21 3% 41.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $278 in Guiyang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $22.00 in Guiyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $197 – making Guiyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Guiyang

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

4,324,561

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Guiyang 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Guiyang

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 Guiyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai, $716 in Guiyang – roughly 74% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,074 in Guiyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guiyang, 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 $331 in Guiyang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Shanghai, 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 Guiyang, where all-in costs run around $716, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Guiyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guiyang – 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 Guiyang. 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.