Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Ichikawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Ichikawa: $1,167 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $920 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shanghai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ichikawa
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Ichikawa Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Ichikawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,167

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Ichikawa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,167 in Ichikawa.

Shanghai $1,244
Ichikawa $1,167

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,876 in Ichikawa.

Shanghai $1,999
Ichikawa $1,876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $2,585 in Ichikawa.

Shanghai $2,755
Ichikawa $2,585

Living in Shanghai is roughly 7% more expensive than in Ichikawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Ichikawa 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$5.13 ¥811

-11.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$31.09 ¥4,912

-2.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.30 ¥680

22.09%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.23 ¥352

47.09%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.72 ¥113

-20.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.35 ¥55.7

2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$2.50 ¥395

-50.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$3.18 ¥502

-28.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.38 ¥218

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.65 ¥261

18.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$3.66 ¥578

-71.86%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.97 ¥311

-15.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$10.53 ¥1,663

61.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$5.86 ¥926

-45.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$14.38 ¥2,272

-10.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$5.53 ¥874

-59.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$2.80 ¥442

-40.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$2.81 ¥444

-28.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$4.26 ¥673

-61.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.61 ¥413

-70.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.56 ¥404

-63.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.28 ¥202

-50.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.75 ¥118

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.73 ¥590

1.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$6.38 ¥1,007

70.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.78 ¥281

-53.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$2.02 ¥320

-20.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.35 ¥213

-54.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$59.9 ¥9,457

-50.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.13 ¥494

-32.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$2.73 ¥432

-84.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$20.59 ¥3,253

-56.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.05 ¥166

26.67%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$21.2K ¥3.4M

-10.29%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$18.5K ¥2.9M

0.97%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$132 ¥20.8K

-56.15%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$23.97 ¥3,788

-66.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$31.98 ¥5,052

-67.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$47.04 ¥7,431

39.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$12.80 ¥2,022

-30.08%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$642 ¥101.4K

120.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$14.6K ¥2.3M

91.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$62.0 ¥9,801

-12.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$37.27 ¥5,889

-0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$60.5 ¥9,559

22.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$102 ¥16.1K

3.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$495 ¥78.3K

112.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$317 ¥50.1K

84.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,186 ¥187.3K

109.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$763 ¥120.5K

61.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$4,455 ¥703.9K

212.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,881 ¥297.2K

232.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.64

27.27%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ichikawa: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Ichikawa

$317 27.1% 45.8% $268

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Ichikawa

$287 24.6% 22.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Ichikawa

$118 10.1% 3.4% $4.2

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Ichikawa

$104 8.9% 2.1% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Ichikawa

$73 6.2% 13.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Ichikawa

$188 16.1% 146% $111

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Ichikawa

$82 7% 127% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $495 in Ichikawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $31.00 in Ichikawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $287 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Ichikawa

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

06:04 6:04 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

496,676

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Ichikawa 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Ichikawa

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 Ichikawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Ichikawa differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $1,167 including rent). Ichikawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,865 in Shanghai and $1,751 in Ichikawa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $495 in Ichikawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Shanghai pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ichikawa – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,167 in Ichikawa versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ichikawa but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Ichikawa 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 Ichikawa 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 Ichikawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.