Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Huainan

For one person, living is cheaper in Huainan: $708 a month against $1,246 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Huainan
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Huainan Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,246

/mo nomad

Huainan

🇨🇳 China

$708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Huainan

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

A single person spends $1,246 per month in Shanghai vs $708 in Huainan, rent included.

Shanghai $1,246
Huainan $708

A couple spends around $1,991 per month in Shanghai vs $1,125 in Huainan, rent included.

Shanghai $1,991
Huainan $1,125

A family of three spends $2,737 per month in Shanghai vs $1,543 in Huainan, rent included.

Shanghai $2,737
Huainan $1,543

Shanghai costs about 76% more than Huainan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Huainan are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Huainan 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.44 ¥29.59

$2.76 ¥18.39

60.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.13 ¥201

$21.64 ¥144

39.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 ¥35.09

$4.82 ¥32.11

9.34%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.85

$2.99 ¥19.91

9.70%

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

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.43 ¥2.89

39.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ¥2.44

$0.27 ¥1.79

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$0.88 ¥5.83

48.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 ¥16.74

$2.14 ¥14.24

17.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.54

$1.85 ¥12.33

1.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 ¥13.42

$1.56 ¥10.41

29.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.92

$0.89 ¥5.93

16.85%

Eggs

$1.81 ¥12.04

$1.58 ¥10.55

14.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 ¥119

$13.09 ¥87.2

36.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ¥22.36

$3.14 ¥20.90

7.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 ¥88.0

$10.01 ¥66.7

31.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥15.00

$1.79 ¥11.92

25.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ¥11.69

$1.26 ¥8.40

39.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.50

$1.47 ¥9.80

38.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ¥11.70

$1.10 ¥7.35

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ¥5.49

$0.73 ¥4.89

12.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.95 ¥6.33

-2.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.56 ¥3.75

19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.91

$0.50 ¥3.36

18.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 ¥27.22

$3.22 ¥21.42

27.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ¥73.5

$10.63 ¥70.8

3.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$0.81 ¥5.38

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.88

$1.57 ¥10.47

3.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.27 ¥1.78

74.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.05 ¥200

$16.80 ¥112

78.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ¥14.46

$1.43 ¥9.52

51.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.09

$0.33 ¥2.18

39.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.25 ¥61.6

$6.57 ¥43.77

40.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.12 ¥7.45

18.75%

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

$19.8K ¥131.9K

$19.8K ¥131.5K

0.28%

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

$18.4K ¥122.7K

$17.5K ¥116.3K

5.49%

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

$58.1 ¥386

$44.36 ¥295

30.86%

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

$8.00 ¥53.2

$9.67 ¥64.4

-17.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.68 ¥71.1

$11.78 ¥78.5

-9.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥437

$42.23 ¥281

55.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 ¥117

$13.96 ¥93.0

26.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.78 ¥58.4

$5.77 ¥38.44

52.17%

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

$1,477 ¥9,835

$336 ¥2,235

340.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.6K ¥296.9K

$17.0K ¥112.9K

162.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$42.97 ¥286

26.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.73 ¥245

$29.93 ¥199

22.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥502

$70.6 ¥470

6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥705

$71.1 ¥473

48.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 ¥7,032

$274 ¥1,821

286.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 ¥3,845

$189 ¥1,258

205.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 ¥17.7K

$590 ¥3,926

351.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 ¥7,956

$359 ¥2,388

233.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥91.9K

$3,016 ¥20.1K

357.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,434 ¥42.8K

$1,993 ¥13.3K

222.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,760 ¥11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.89

-15.17%

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

Last update for Shanghai: November 3, 2026

Last update for Huainan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$578 46.4%

Huainan

$189 26.7% 67.3% $389

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$243 19.5%

Huainan

$198 28% 18.6% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 9.9%

Huainan

$97 13.6% 21.3% $26

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Huainan

$84 11.9% 21% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.7%

Huainan

$54 7.6% 35.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.2%

Huainan

$66 9.3% 14.2% $11

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Huainan

$21 3% 42.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,056 in Shanghai versus $274 in Huainan. 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 in Shanghai versus $22 in Huainan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $198 – making Huainan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Huainan

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

3,033,528

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Huainan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 76%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,869 per month in Shanghai and $1,062 in Huainan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Huainan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $274 there versus $1,056 in Shanghai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai and $22 in Huainan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,246 in Shanghai and $708 in Huainan. That makes Huainan about 43% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Huainan, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Shanghai at $1,246. In Huainan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Huainan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 43% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.