Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Huizhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Huizhou: $771 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Huizhou
Learn more

Huizhou Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Huizhou

🇨🇳 China

$771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Huizhou

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Shanghai vs $771 in Huizhou, rent included.

Shanghai $1,222
Huizhou $771

A couple spends around $1,971 per month in Shanghai vs $1,187 in Huizhou, rent included.

Shanghai $1,971
Huizhou $1,187

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in Shanghai vs $1,603 in Huizhou, rent included.

Shanghai $2,720
Huizhou $1,603

Shanghai costs about 59% more than Huizhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Huizhou are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 10% lower, Huizhou 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.07

$2.23 ¥14.81

103.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥200

$17.51 ¥116

72.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥33.99

$5.18 ¥34.39

-1.35%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.67

$2.94 ¥19.53

15.99%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.54 ¥3.61

7.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.29 ¥1.90

20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.21

$1.07 ¥7.12

14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.35

$1.70 ¥11.29

35.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.50

$1.77 ¥11.75

6.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.86

$1.64 ¥10.89

18.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.51

$1.10 ¥7.29

-10.91%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.29

$1.56 ¥10.40

8.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$7.68 ¥51.1

121.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.38

$4.40 ¥29.24

-26.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥85.9

$12.35 ¥82.0

4.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.29

$1.77 ¥11.77

21.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.46

$1.24 ¥8.26

39.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.49

$1.24 ¥8.26

63.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.52

$1.41 ¥9.39

22.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.50

$0.98 ¥6.52

-15.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.12

$1.19 ¥7.90

-22.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.47

$0.68 ¥4.52

-1.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.46 ¥3.06

28.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.06

$2.97 ¥19.73

26.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.3

$10.56 ¥70.2

4.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥5.99

$1.03 ¥6.86

-12.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.66

$1.72 ¥11.43

-6.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.80

$0.29 ¥1.92

96.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$18.27 ¥121

62.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.23

$1.02 ¥6.78

109.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.43 ¥2.88

9.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.1

$3.81 ¥25.30

129.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.92

$1.20 ¥7.96

11.67%

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

$19.3K ¥127.9K

$19.2K ¥127.5K

0.31%

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

$18.3K ¥121.5K

$15.7K ¥104.5K

16.18%

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

$58.9 ¥391

$49.84 ¥331

18.18%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$11.61 ¥77.2

-31.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.4

$9.99 ¥66.4

6.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$40.58 ¥270

59.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$15.14 ¥101

15.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.2

$6.44 ¥42.78

40.68%

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

$1,587 ¥10.5K

$430 ¥2,860

268.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.6K

$21.4K ¥142.0K

32.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$49.23 ¥327

10.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥247

$41.25 ¥274

-9.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥495

$81.2 ¥539

-8.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$69.8 ¥464

52.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,816

$208 ¥1,385

392.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,716

$235 ¥1,565

137.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$394 ¥2,618

564.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,915

$407 ¥2,706

192.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥88.9K

$2,210 ¥14.7K

505.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$1,212 ¥8,053

438.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

$868 ¥5,770

97.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.38

-0.59%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Huizhou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Huizhou

$235 30.6% 57.9% $324

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Huizhou

$198 25.8% 16.1% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Huizhou

$109 14.1% 11.4% $14

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Huizhou

$81 10.5% 24.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Huizhou

$53 6.9% 35.5% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Huizhou

$71 9.3% 7.7% $5.9

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Huizhou

$23 2.9% 37.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,026 in Shanghai versus $208 in Huizhou. 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 97% higher in Shanghai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai versus $18 in Huizhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $198 – making Huizhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Huizhou

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

4,597,002

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Shanghai Huizhou 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Huizhou

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Huizhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,222 in Shanghai, $771 in Huizhou – Huizhou comes out roughly 37% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Shanghai and $1,156 in Huizhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Huizhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $208 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai and $18 in Huizhou. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,222 in Shanghai and $771 in Huizhou. That makes Huizhou about 37% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Huizhou, where all-in costs run around $771, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Huizhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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