Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Hefei

For one person, living is cheaper in Hefei: $768 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Hefei
Learn more

Hefei Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Hefei

🇨🇳 China

$768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Hefei

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Shanghai versus $768 in Hefei.

Shanghai $1,256
Hefei $768

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,225 in Hefei.

Shanghai $1,999
Hefei $1,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Shanghai versus $1,681 in Hefei.

Shanghai $2,743
Hefei $1,681

Living in Shanghai is roughly 64% more expensive than in Hefei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 7% lower, Hefei 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$2.58 ¥17.28

72.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$22.44 ¥150

34.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$4.36 ¥29.18

16.74%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$2.75 ¥18.39

24.73%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.49 ¥3.26

26.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.27 ¥1.80

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$1.06 ¥7.09

16.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$2.00 ¥13.35

10.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.62 ¥10.84

14.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$2.06 ¥13.75

-5.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$0.81 ¥5.42

23.46%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.92 ¥12.84

-10.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$14.10 ¥94.3

23.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$4.90 ¥32.76

-33.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$11.57 ¥77.3

12.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$2.31 ¥15.45

-3.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$1.72 ¥11.52

-2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.64 ¥10.95

18.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$1.61 ¥10.79

7.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$0.80 ¥5.37

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.94 ¥6.26

-2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$0.79 ¥5.26

-16.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$0.70 ¥4.70

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.08 ¥20.59

19.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$12.16 ¥81.3

-10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$0.93 ¥6.21

-6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$1.99 ¥13.28

-18.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.31 ¥2.09

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$45.22 ¥302

-32.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$1.23 ¥8.21

67.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.33 ¥2.20

39.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$3.51 ¥23.48

151.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.33 ¥8.91

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

1.19%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$16.9K ¥112.9K

8.02%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$48.54 ¥325

17.66%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$9.54 ¥63.8

-15.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$12.08 ¥80.8

-11.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$15.66 ¥105

312.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$15.31 ¥102

12.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$6.41 ¥42.85

41.19%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$236 ¥1,581

509.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$8,656 ¥57.9K

225.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$89.7 ¥600

-40.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$32.76 ¥219

13.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$62.7 ¥419

22.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$96.9 ¥648

7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$241 ¥1,609

325.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$179 ¥1,197

231.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$532 ¥3,558

381.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$340 ¥2,270

257.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$3,573 ¥23.9K

278.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$1,975 ¥13.2K

216.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

$1,011 ¥6,763

68.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.15

6.67%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Hefei: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Hefei

$179 23.3% 69.9% $415

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Hefei

$235 30.6% 1.3% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Hefei

$127 16.5% 3.9% $4.8

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Hefei

$79 10.3% 25.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Hefei

$28 3.7% 65.6% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Hefei

$70 9.1% 7.5% $5.7

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Hefei

$49 6.4% 32.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,023 in Shanghai and $241 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 68% 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 $22.00 in Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $235 per month, with Hefei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Hefei

🕒 Local time

18:51 6:51 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

9,369,881

💱 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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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 Hefei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hefei wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in Shanghai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hefei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 68% 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 $241 in Hefei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hefei – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Shanghai versus $768 in Hefei – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $768 in Hefei versus $1,256 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hefei but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Hefei 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 Hefei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.