Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Huai'an

For one person, living is cheaper in Huai'an: $712 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Huai'an
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Huai'an Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Huai'an

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Huai'an

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $712 in Huai'an, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Huai'an $712

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,127 in Huai'an, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Huai'an $1,127

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $1,542 in Huai'an, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Huai'an $1,542

Shanghai costs about 75% more than Huai'an, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Huai'an are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Huai'an 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$2.84 ¥19.02

60.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$21.39 ¥143

41.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.83 ¥32.31

8.70%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.09 ¥20.65

6.15%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.43 ¥2.90

32.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.29 ¥1.96

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$0.88 ¥5.86

39.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.15 ¥14.37

5.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.79 ¥11.97

2.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.55 ¥10.33

26.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$0.94 ¥6.31

9.57%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.60 ¥10.67

4.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$12.96 ¥86.7

30.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.15 ¥21.09

1.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$10.15 ¥67.9

27.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$1.86 ¥12.43

20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.26 ¥8.44

31.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.49 ¥9.97

35.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$1.11 ¥7.39

49.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.73 ¥4.89

5.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.90 ¥6.03

3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.56 ¥3.72

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.50 ¥3.37

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.04 ¥20.33

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$10.38 ¥69.4

4.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.81 ¥5.40

1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.64 ¥11.00

-1.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.27 ¥1.79

125.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$16.42 ¥110

79.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.41 ¥9.43

49.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.33 ¥2.19

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$6.75 ¥45.16

34.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.13 ¥7.54

17.70%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.6K ¥131.2K

-3.08%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$17.0K ¥113.4K

10.35%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$44.97 ¥301

28.55%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$9.59 ¥64.1

-15.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$11.53 ¥77.1

-9.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$41.25 ¥276

59.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$14.14 ¥94.5

26.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$5.85 ¥39.12

52.99%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$338 ¥2,262

317.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$16.8K ¥112.6K

65.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$44.21 ¥296

22.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$29.84 ¥200

24.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$70.8 ¥473

4.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$72.0 ¥481

46.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$276 ¥1,847

282.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$192 ¥1,283

204.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$598 ¥3,999

315.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$356 ¥2,379

246.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$2,977 ¥19.9K

367.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$2,044 ¥13.7K

205.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.89

-13.62%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Huai'an: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Huai'an

$192 27% 67.2% $393

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Huai'an

$197 27.7% 15.9% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Huai'an

$98 13.7% 20% $24

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Huai'an

$86 12.1% 19% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Huai'an

$53 7.4% 36.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Huai'an

$66 9.3% 13.5% $10

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Huai'an

$21 2.9% 43.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $276 in Huai'an. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $21.00 in Huai'an. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $197 – making Huai'an the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Huai'an

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

4,799,889

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Shanghai vs Huai'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,069 in Huai'an. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 19% more in Shanghai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai and $21.00 in Huai'an. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Huai'an, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Huai'an it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Huai'an – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Huai'an. 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.