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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,224 per month in Shanghai vs $746 in Heyuan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,975 per month in Shanghai vs $1,180 in Heyuan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,727 per month in Shanghai vs $1,614 in Heyuan, rent included.

Shanghai costs about 64% more than Heyuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Shanghai and Heyuan are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Heyuan 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.84 ¥32.74

$2.83 ¥19.18

71.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.37 ¥246

$15.02 ¥102

142.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ¥37.79

$4.26 ¥28.82

31.22%

Cappuccino

$3.53 ¥23.90

$2.11 ¥14.27

67.30%

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

$0.58 ¥3.93

$0.33 ¥2.26

75.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ¥2.27

$0.22 ¥1.49

54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ¥9.29

$0.68 ¥4.58

101.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ¥19.22

$1.71 ¥11.57

66.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ¥14.68

$1.97 ¥13.33

10.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ¥12.46

$2.08 ¥14.04

-11.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.11

$1.24 ¥8.41

-15.32%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.36

$1.51 ¥10.19

11.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.53 ¥105

$18.72 ¥127

-17.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 ¥21.02

$4.50 ¥30.45

-30.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 ¥73.7

$14.06 ¥95.1

-22.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥16.01

$2.09 ¥14.17

13.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 ¥11.55

$1.20 ¥8.14

42.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.99

$1.94 ¥13.11

-8.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.34

$1.42 ¥9.61

7.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.31

$0.88 ¥5.97

-11.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.49

$1.09 ¥7.34

1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.19

$0.56 ¥3.81

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.03

$0.64 ¥4.35

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 ¥18.42

$3.90 ¥26.35

-30.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 ¥81.3

$12.06 ¥81.6

-0.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.80

$0.95 ¥6.45

-9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.84

$1.41 ¥9.53

13.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ¥2.71

$0.29 ¥1.97

37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.58 ¥234

$16.80 ¥114

105.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ¥14.95

$1.72 ¥11.61

28.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.53

$0.34 ¥2.33

8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.18 ¥55.4

$6.30 ¥42.63

29.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥7.39

$1.14 ¥7.69

-4.39%

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

$19.8K ¥134.1K

$20.6K ¥139.5K

-3.90%

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

$17.9K ¥121.0K

$19.4K ¥131.1K

-7.68%

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

$52.3 ¥354

$60.6 ¥410

-13.69%

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

$8.55 ¥57.8

$13.19 ¥89.2

-35.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.63 ¥92.2

$11.56 ¥78.2

17.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 ¥311

$42.19 ¥285

9.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 ¥138

$13.83 ¥93.6

47.72%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ¥55.9

$6.49 ¥43.91

27.27%

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

$1,295 ¥8,761

$319 ¥2,156

306.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K ¥214.9K

$16.3K ¥110.3K

94.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ¥405

$40.29 ¥273

48.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.84 ¥256

$28.40 ¥192

33.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 ¥525

$68.9 ¥466

12.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.6 ¥660

$61.1 ¥414

59.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 ¥6,324

$282 ¥1,906

231.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 ¥3,812

$190 ¥1,287

196.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 ¥16.6K

$584 ¥3,952

319.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 ¥8,111

$360 ¥2,438

232.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.1K ¥95.6K

$2,831 ¥19.1K

399.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,632 ¥44.9K

$1,929 ¥13.1K

243.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,702 ¥11.5K

$1,340 ¥9,068

26.99%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Heyuan: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $935 in Shanghai versus $282 in Heyuan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 27% higher in Shanghai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Shanghai versus $15.00 in Heyuan. Groceries tell a different story – $228 in Shanghai vs $251 in Heyuan – so Shanghai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Heyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,224 in Shanghai, $746 in Heyuan – roughly 64% apart. Shanghai costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,836 per month in Shanghai and $1,119 in Heyuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Heyuan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Shanghai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Shanghai and $15.00 in Heyuan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Heyuan, where all-in costs run around $746, than in Shanghai at $1,224. In Heyuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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