Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Handan

For one person, living is cheaper in Handan: $691 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Handan
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Handan Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Handan

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Handan

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Shanghai vs $691 in Handan, rent included.

Shanghai $1,222
Handan $691

A couple spends around $1,971 per month in Shanghai vs $1,040 in Handan, rent included.

Shanghai $1,971
Handan $1,040

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in Shanghai vs $1,390 in Handan, rent included.

Shanghai $2,720
Handan $1,390

Shanghai costs about 77% more than Handan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Handan are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 10% lower, Handan 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$1.83 ¥12.16

147.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$17.67 ¥118

70.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.03

$4.45 ¥29.62

14.83%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.70

$2.68 ¥17.82

27.24%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.42 ¥2.82

38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.23 ¥1.53

52.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$0.71 ¥4.75

73.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$1.48 ¥9.83

56.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.52

$1.52 ¥10.10

23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$0.73 ¥4.86

165.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$0.73 ¥4.88

34.25%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.31

$0.98 ¥6.49

73.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$11.99 ¥79.8

41.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$2.97 ¥19.77

8.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$11.18 ¥74.4

15.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$1.41 ¥9.39

52.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$0.63 ¥4.17

174.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$1.44 ¥9.57

40.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.14 ¥7.61

51.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.31 ¥2.08

167.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.31 ¥2.06

196.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.56 ¥3.75

19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.38 ¥2.54

55.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.10

$3.74 ¥24.86

0.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$10.07 ¥67.0

9.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$0.70 ¥4.69

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.36 ¥9.04

17.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.31 ¥2.08

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$18.24 ¥121

62.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$0.94 ¥6.25

127.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.27 ¥1.81

74.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$4.44 ¥29.52

96.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.32 ¥8.75

1.52%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$19.5K ¥129.9K

-1.42%

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

$18.3K ¥121.6K

$14.9K ¥99.0K

22.85%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$73.0 ¥486

-19.28%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$4.58 ¥30.47

72.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$5.09 ¥33.88

108.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$41.16 ¥274

57.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$17.11 ¥114

2.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$4.40 ¥29.30

105.91%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$213 ¥1,419

644.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$19.9K ¥132.5K

41.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$30.04 ¥200

81.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$42.53 ¥283

-12.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$45.47 ¥303

64.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$69.3 ¥461

53.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,825

$294 ¥1,955

249.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,721

$212 ¥1,413

163.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$660 ¥4,395

296.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,926

$338 ¥2,246

252.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$2,801 ¥18.6K

377.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$2,092 ¥13.9K

211.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

$651 ¥4,331

163.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

12.00%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Handan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Handan

$212 30.7% 62% $347

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Handan

$171 24.7% 27.8% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Handan

$84 12.2% 31.3% $38

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Handan

$69 10% 35.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Handan

$50 7.2% 39.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Handan

$83 12% 6.8% $5.3

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Handan

$22 3.2% 40.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,026 in Shanghai versus $294 in Handan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Shanghai are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai versus $18 in Handan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $171 – making Handan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Handan

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

9,413,990

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shanghai Handan 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Handan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 77%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Shanghai and $1,037 in Handan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Handan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $294 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai and $18 in Handan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,222 in Shanghai and $691 in Handan. That makes Handan about 43% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Handan, where all-in costs run around $691, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Handan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Handan – 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 Handan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.