Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Hirakata

For one person, living costs are similar in Shanghai and in Hirakata: $1,256 and $1,220 a month, rent and utilities included.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Hirakata
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Hirakata Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Hirakata

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,220

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Hirakata

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Shanghai versus $1,220 in Hirakata.

Shanghai $1,256
Hirakata $1,220

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,929 in Hirakata.

Shanghai $1,999
Hirakata $1,929

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Shanghai versus $2,638 in Hirakata.

Shanghai $2,743
Hirakata $2,638

Living in Shanghai is roughly 3% more expensive than in Hirakata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 7% lower, Hirakata 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$8.59 ¥1,356

-48.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$31.38 ¥4,958

-3.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$4.97 ¥786

2.41%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$2.90 ¥458

18.28%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$1.29 ¥204

-51.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.72 ¥114

-45.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$3.07 ¥486

-59.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$3.87 ¥611

-42.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.44 ¥228

28.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$1.31 ¥206

48.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$5.49 ¥867

-81.79%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$2.05 ¥324

-16.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$9.33 ¥1,474

87.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$6.93 ¥1,095

-53.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$17.25 ¥2,725

-24.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$3.39 ¥536

-33.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$1.94 ¥307

-13.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$3.10 ¥489

-37.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$4.13 ¥652

-58.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$4.03 ¥637

-81.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$3.82 ¥603

-75.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$1.36 ¥216

-51.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$0.88 ¥138

-31.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.94 ¥623

-6.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$9.69 ¥1,531

12.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$2.61 ¥412

-66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$3.13 ¥495

-47.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$1.49 ¥236

-58.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$52.9 ¥8,365

-42.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$3.24 ¥512

-36.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$3.23 ¥510

-85.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$15.59 ¥2,462

-43.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.06 ¥168

25.47%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$22.0K ¥3.5M

-12.41%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

18.98%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$114 ¥18.1K

-50.11%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$23.50 ¥3,713

-65.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$30.41 ¥4,805

-64.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$52.5 ¥8,291

23.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$6.47 ¥1,022

167.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$11.43 ¥1,806

-20.82%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$513 ¥81.1K

180.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$13.0K ¥2.1M

116.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$48.40 ¥7,646

10.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$30.44 ¥4,810

21.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$61.5 ¥9,710

25.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$90.8 ¥14.3K

14.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$525 ¥83.0K

94.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$336 ¥53.1K

76.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$1,121 ¥177.1K

128.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$729 ¥115.2K

66.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$4,201 ¥663.7K

221.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$1,730 ¥273.3K

261.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

$1,904 ¥300.9K

-10.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.02

66.34%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Hirakata: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Hirakata

$336 27.5% 43.4% $258

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Hirakata

$308 25.3% 29.7% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Hirakata

$104 8.5% 14.9% $18

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Hirakata

$150 12.3% 40.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Hirakata

$75 6.2% 8.9% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Hirakata

$168 13.8% 122% $93

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Hirakata

$78 6.4% 111% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,023 in Shanghai and $525 in Hirakata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hirakata pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $31.00 in Hirakata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $308 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Hirakata

🕒 Local time

12:44 12:44 PM

13:44 1:44 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

402,495

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Shanghai Hirakata 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Hirakata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Hirakata differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,220 including rent). Hirakata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Hirakata. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,023 in Shanghai versus $525 in Hirakata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hirakata runs roughly 74% less than in Shanghai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,441 in Shanghai versus $513 in Hirakata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,220 in Hirakata versus $1,256 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hirakata but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Hirakata 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.

Safety-wise, Shanghai and Hirakata are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hirakata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.