Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Hanzhong

For one person, living is cheaper in Hanzhong: $692 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Hanzhong
Learn more

Hanzhong Living Index

Jump to prices

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Hanzhong

🇨🇳 China

$692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Hanzhong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Shanghai versus $692 in Hanzhong.

Shanghai $1,256
Hanzhong $692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,110 in Hanzhong.

Shanghai $1,999
Hanzhong $1,110

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Shanghai versus $1,527 in Hanzhong.

Shanghai $2,743
Hanzhong $1,527

Living in Shanghai is roughly 81% more expensive than in Hanzhong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 7% lower, Hanzhong 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$2.75 ¥18.38

61.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$18.25 ¥122

65.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$4.53 ¥30.27

12.36%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$2.18 ¥14.55

57.34%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.40 ¥2.70

55.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.26 ¥1.74

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$1.53 ¥10.21

-19.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$1.52 ¥10.19

45.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.45 ¥9.68

27.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$1.67 ¥11.17

16.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$0.91 ¥6.10

9.89%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.43 ¥9.53

19.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$11.80 ¥78.9

48.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$4.17 ¥27.85

-22.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$10.31 ¥69.0

25.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$1.68 ¥11.23

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$1.10 ¥7.35

52.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.28 ¥8.55

52.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$1.27 ¥8.52

36.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$0.65 ¥4.31

16.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.71 ¥4.72

29.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$0.63 ¥4.19

4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$0.59 ¥3.96

1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.44 ¥22.99

7.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$9.81 ¥65.6

11.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$0.78 ¥5.18

11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$1.75 ¥11.71

-6.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.29 ¥1.91

113.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$18.20 ¥122

66.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$1.24 ¥8.27

66.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.29 ¥1.91

58.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$4.58 ¥30.62

93.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.26 ¥8.46

5.56%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$19.1K ¥128.0K

0.58%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$17.8K ¥118.8K

2.72%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$41.30 ¥276

38.28%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$5.82 ¥38.95

38.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$10.63 ¥71.1

0.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$40.88 ¥273

58.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$14.70 ¥98.3

17.62%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$5.10 ¥34.07

77.45%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$703 ¥4,703

104.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$17.2K ¥114.9K

64.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$38.35 ¥256

39.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$37.56 ¥251

-1.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$73.8 ¥494

4.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$92.3 ¥617

12.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$293 ¥1,958

249.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$184 ¥1,227

223.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$637 ¥4,260

302.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$375 ¥2,506

223.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$3,538 ¥23.7K

282.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$1,918 ¥12.8K

225.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

$588 ¥3,929

189.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.1

8.39%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Hanzhong: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Hanzhong

$184 26.5% 69.1% $410

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Hanzhong

$194 28% 18.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Hanzhong

$109 15.7% 10.8% $13

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Hanzhong

$75 10.8% 29.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Hanzhong

$51 7.4% 38.2% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Hanzhong

$58 8.3% 23.9% $18

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Hanzhong

$22 3.2% 40.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,023 in Shanghai and $293 in Hanzhong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 189% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $18.00 in Hanzhong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $194 per month, with Hanzhong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Hanzhong

🕒 Local time

06:08 6:08 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

3,416,196

💱 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 Hanzhong 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Hanzhong

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 Hanzhong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hanzhong wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Shanghai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hanzhong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 189% higher in Shanghai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,023 in Shanghai versus $293 in Hanzhong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,441 in Shanghai versus $703 in Hanzhong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $692 in Hanzhong versus $1,256 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hanzhong but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Hanzhong 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.

Expats usually find Hanzhong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.