Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Heyuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Heyuan

😐 Solo nomad: Shanghai is 11.5% more expensive than Heyuan without rent, and 59.4% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Shanghai is 9.4% more expensive than Heyuan without rent, and 71.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Shanghai
Heyuan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.97 ¥33.95
$2.73 ¥18.67
82.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.17 ¥247
$15.40 ¥105
134.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.42 ¥37.04
$4.30 ¥29.38
26.05%
Cappuccino
$3.56 ¥24.31
$2.04 ¥13.91
74.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ¥3.64
$0.36 ¥2.46
47.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ¥2.28
$0.20 ¥1.36
65.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.35 ¥9.23
$0.68 ¥4.63
98.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ¥18.87
$1.63 ¥11.15
69.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Shanghai
Heyuan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.13 ¥14.54
$1.91 ¥13.01
11.52%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 ¥12.58
$2.02 ¥13.78
-8.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.05 ¥7.19
$1.30 ¥8.90
-19.23%
Eggs
$1.68 ¥11.45
$1.55 ¥10.60
8.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.58 ¥106
$19.12 ¥131
-18.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.24 ¥22.13
$4.50 ¥30.76
-28.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.83 ¥74.0
$14.30 ¥97.7
-24.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.37 ¥16.22
$2.04 ¥13.92
16.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ¥11.57
$1.24 ¥8.48
36.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.80 ¥12.27
$1.94 ¥13.24
-7.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.48 ¥10.09
$1.47 ¥10.06
0.68%
Potato (1kg)
$0.85 ¥5.83
$0.93 ¥6.37
-8.60%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 ¥7.99
$1.05 ¥7.20
11.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.62 ¥4.25
$0.52 ¥3.58
19.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 ¥4.15
$0.65 ¥4.46
-6.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.81 ¥19.17
$3.91 ¥26.70
-28.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.89 ¥81.2
$8.97 ¥61.3
32.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 ¥5.38
$0.99 ¥6.74
-20.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 ¥10.72
$1.40 ¥9.57
12.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Shanghai
Heyuan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.44 ¥2.98
$0.27 ¥1.83
62.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.93 ¥239
$16.72 ¥114
108.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 ¥15.33
$1.69 ¥11.52
32.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 ¥2.59
$0.37 ¥2.53
2.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.23 ¥56.2
$6.33 ¥43.22
30.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 ¥7.87
$1.18 ¥8.08
-2.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.9K ¥135.8K
$21.3K ¥145.2K
-6.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.8K ¥121.8K
$19.5K ¥133.5K
-8.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shanghai
Heyuan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$52.2 ¥357
$60.9 ¥416
-14.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.70 ¥59.4
$13.05 ¥89.2
-33.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.58 ¥92.7
$11.64 ¥79.5
16.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Shanghai
Heyuan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.31 ¥316
$41.40 ¥283
11.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.45 ¥140
$14.20 ¥97.0
44.01%
Cinema Ticket
$8.26 ¥56.5
$6.38 ¥43.60
29.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Shanghai
Heyuan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,266 ¥8,649
$316 ¥2,155
301.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.9K ¥218.2K
$16.2K ¥110.4K
97.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Shanghai
Heyuan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 ¥408
$40.30 ¥275
48.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.23 ¥261
$28.53 ¥195
34.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.2 ¥527
$69.5 ¥474
11.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.2 ¥657
$60.9 ¥416
58.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Shanghai
Heyuan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$948 ¥6,478
$283 ¥1,931
235.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$572 ¥3,908
$185 ¥1,262
209.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,473 ¥16.9K
$603 ¥4,121
309.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,206 ¥8,239
$354 ¥2,415
241.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$14.1K ¥96.2K
$3,243 ¥22.1K
334.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,213 ¥49.3K
$2,003 ¥13.7K
260.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Shanghai
Heyuan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,682 ¥11.5K
$1,333 ¥9,104
26.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.58
4.08
-12.25%

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

Last update for Shanghai: April 12, 2026

Last update for Heyuan: April 14, 2026

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 other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities