Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Gyeonggi

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeonggi: $1,072 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Gyeonggi
Learn more

Gyeonggi Living Index

Jump to prices

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Gyeonggi

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Gyeonggi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,072 in Gyeonggi.

Shanghai $1,244
Gyeonggi $1,072

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $2,079 in Gyeonggi.

Shanghai $1,999
Gyeonggi $2,079

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $3,085 in Gyeonggi.

Shanghai $2,755
Gyeonggi $3,085

Living in Shanghai is roughly 16% more expensive than in Gyeonggi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Gyeonggi 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$7.53 ₩10.0K

-39.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$60.6 ₩80.6K

-50.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$6.00 ₩7,975

-12.50%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.90 ₩5,180

-15.90%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.22 ₩1,625

-53.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.68 ₩903

-47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$3.47 ₩4,610

-64.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.93 ₩3,890

-22.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.76 ₩2,334

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$11.17 ₩14.9K

-79.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$3.82 ₩5,084

-56.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$7.70 ₩10.2K

-73.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.07 ₩4,087

-31.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.58 ₩775

-25.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.46 ₩1,945

-8.90%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

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

$57.8 ¥387

$186 ₩247.8K

-68.98%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$40.40 ₩53.7K

-79.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$21.83 ₩29.0K

-51.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$56.3 ₩74.9K

16.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$10.32 ₩13.7K

-13.28%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$58.9 ₩78.4K

-8.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$42.06 ₩55.9K

-11.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$86.3 ₩114.8K

-14.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$532 ₩707.0K

98.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$373 ₩496.5K

56.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$2,102 ₩2.8M

18.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$1,503 ₩2.0M

-17.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$2,244 ₩3.0M

-23.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.5

-4.00%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Gyeonggi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Gyeonggi

$373 34.8% 36.1% $211

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Gyeonggi

$127 * 11.9% 45.8% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Gyeonggi

$84 * 7.9% 30.9% $38

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Gyeonggi

$156 14.5% 46.9% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Gyeonggi

$77 7.2% 7.9% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Gyeonggi

$249 23.2% 226% $172

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Gyeonggi

$6 * 0.6% 83.4% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $532 in Gyeonggi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gyeonggi pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $61.0 in Gyeonggi. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $127, with Gyeonggi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇷 Gyeonggi

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

08:06 8:06 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

1,234,582

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Gyeonggi 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Gyeonggi

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 Gyeonggi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gyeonggi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Gyeonggi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $532 in Gyeonggi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gyeonggi – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,072 in Gyeonggi versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gyeonggi but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Gyeonggi 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 Gyeonggi 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 Gyeonggi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.