Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Huzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Huzhou: $815 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Huzhou
Learn more

Huzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Huzhou

🇨🇳 China

$815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Huzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Shanghai versus $815 in Huzhou.

Shanghai $1,256
Huzhou $815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,338 in Huzhou.

Shanghai $1,999
Huzhou $1,338

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Shanghai versus $1,861 in Huzhou.

Shanghai $2,743
Huzhou $1,861

Living in Shanghai is roughly 54% more expensive than in Huzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 7% lower, Huzhou 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.70

$4.58 ¥30.58

-2.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥202

$30.24 ¥202

0.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥33.93

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.90

$3.30 ¥22.02

3.94%

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

$0.62 ¥4.14

$0.62 ¥4.12

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.57

$0.35 ¥2.36

11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.23 ¥8.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.77

$2.19 ¥14.59

0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.34

$1.84 ¥12.27

0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥12.99

$2.00 ¥13.34

-2.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.65

$0.98 ¥6.57

2.04%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.41

$1.67 ¥11.14

2.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$17.31 ¥115

0.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.61

$3.20 ¥21.35

1.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.6

$12.91 ¥86.1

0.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.95

$2.22 ¥14.79

0.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$1.74 ¥11.64

-3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.00

$1.97 ¥13.13

-1.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.57

$1.67 ¥11.17

3.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.09

$0.80 ¥5.36

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$0.98 ¥6.55

-6.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.40

$0.62 ¥4.15

6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.58 ¥3.89

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.59

$3.80 ¥25.36

-2.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥72.9

$10.93 ¥72.9

-0.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.83

$0.88 ¥5.87

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$1.54 ¥10.27

5.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$0.29 ¥1.91

113.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$18.52 ¥124

64.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.76

$2.12 ¥14.13

-2.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.07

$0.43 ¥2.90

6.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.0

$9.12 ¥60.9

-3.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.84

$1.34 ¥8.95

-0.75%

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

$19.3K ¥128.4K

$19.7K ¥131.3K

-2.20%

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

$18.2K ¥121.7K

$17.9K ¥119.7K

1.71%

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

$57.1 ¥381

$58.6 ¥391

-2.58%

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

$8.07 ¥53.8

$8.07 ¥53.9

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.3

$10.71 ¥71.4

-0.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥431

$38.06 ¥254

69.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥115

$16.73 ¥112

3.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.3

$9.00 ¥60.1

0.56%

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

$1,441 ¥9,614

$394 ¥2,625

266.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.0K

$27.8K ¥185.5K

1.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥357

$55.0 ¥367

-2.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥247

$37.51 ¥250

-1.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥513

$74.7 ¥498

3.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥693

$107 ¥714

-2.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,825

$299 ¥1,997

241.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,961

$191 ¥1,275

210.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$606 ¥4,044

322.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,088

$411 ¥2,742

194.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.2K

$3,370 ¥22.5K

301.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.7K

$1,908 ¥12.7K

227.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.3K

$1,184 ¥7,898

43.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Huzhou: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Huzhou

$191 23.5% 67.8% $403

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Huzhou

$237 29.1% 0.4% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Huzhou

$123 15.2% 1% $1.2

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Huzhou

$106 13% 0.7% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Huzhou

$56 6.9% 32.2% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Huzhou

$77 9.5% 2% $1.5

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Huzhou

$24 2.9% 35.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,023 in Shanghai and $299 in Huzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 44% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $30.00 in Huzhou. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $237, with Huzhou cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Huzhou

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

2,893,542

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Huzhou 140 km

From you

Shanghai
Huzhou

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 Huzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Huzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Shanghai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,023 in Shanghai versus $299 in Huzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Huzhou – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $815 in Huzhou versus $1,256 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Huzhou but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Huzhou 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.

Expats usually find Huzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.