Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Heze Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Heze

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,209 per month in Shanghai vs $709 in Heze, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,979 per month in Shanghai vs $1,134 in Heze, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Shanghai vs $1,560 in Heze, rent included.

Shanghai costs about 71% more than Heze, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Shanghai and Heze are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 10% lower, Heze 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.90 ¥33.19

$2.74 ¥18.52

78.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.30 ¥246

$20.55 ¥139

76.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ¥37.86

$4.82 ¥32.65

15.98%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ¥24.04

$2.99 ¥20.23

18.73%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$0.47 ¥3.16

21.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.46

$0.27 ¥1.82

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ¥9.67

$0.95 ¥6.43

50.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ¥19.26

$2.07 ¥14.02

37.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ¥14.61

$1.85 ¥12.54

16.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$1.52 ¥10.32

17.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.42

$0.91 ¥6.14

20.88%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.44

$1.58 ¥10.68

6.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.30 ¥104

$12.98 ¥87.8

17.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥21.14

$3.11 ¥21.02

0.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ¥72.8

$10.15 ¥68.7

6.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ¥15.30

$1.73 ¥11.72

30.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ¥11.32

$1.26 ¥8.53

32.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.17

$1.35 ¥9.14

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.36

$1.09 ¥7.38

40.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.46

$0.67 ¥4.52

20.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.53

$0.96 ¥6.53

15.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.61

$0.55 ¥3.74

23.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.55 ¥3.74

1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ¥19.20

$3.09 ¥20.90

-8.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 ¥78.6

$9.90 ¥67.0

17.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.32

$0.80 ¥5.40

-1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.07

$1.60 ¥10.82

2.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.27 ¥1.81

59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.41 ¥233

$16.56 ¥112

107.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ¥14.93

$1.35 ¥9.14

63.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.35 ¥2.38

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 ¥56.7

$6.76 ¥45.75

23.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.71

$1.18 ¥7.99

-3.39%

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

$19.5K ¥132.3K

$19.3K ¥130.7K

1.21%

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

$18.1K ¥122.9K

$16.7K ¥113.3K

8.42%

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

$52.8 ¥357

$45.45 ¥308

16.19%

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

$8.53 ¥57.8

$10.03 ¥67.9

-14.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 ¥93.7

$11.40 ¥77.2

21.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.02 ¥318

$41.10 ¥278

14.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.81 ¥134

$14.16 ¥95.9

39.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 ¥57.3

$6.26 ¥42.37

35.14%

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

$1,303 ¥8,817

$330 ¥2,232

294.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K ¥213.7K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

86.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥403

$44.12 ¥299

35.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥258

$30.99 ¥210

22.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ¥533

$70.4 ¥477

11.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 ¥672

$75.2 ¥509

31.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,313

$282 ¥1,910

230.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 ¥3,858

$189 ¥1,279

201.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 ¥16.9K

$602 ¥4,071

313.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ¥8,070

$365 ¥2,472

226.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥94.7K

$3,186 ¥21.6K

339.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,729 ¥45.5K

$1,792 ¥12.1K

275.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,689 ¥11.4K

$591 ¥3,998

185.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.87

-7.49%

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

Last update for Shanghai: June 2, 2026

Last update for Heze: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Shanghai versus $282 in Heze. 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 186% 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 $21.00 in Heze. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $195 – making Heze the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Heze: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,209 in Shanghai, $709 in Heze – roughly 71% apart. Shanghai costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,814 per month in Shanghai and $1,063 in Heze. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Shanghai and $21.00 in Heze. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,209 in Shanghai and $709 in Heze. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Heze, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Shanghai at $1,209. In Heze it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Heze – 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 Heze. 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.