Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Incheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,373 in Incheon, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Incheon despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Incheon
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Incheon Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Incheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,373

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Incheon

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $1,373 in Incheon, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Incheon $1,373

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $2,106 in Incheon, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Incheon $2,106

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $2,839 in Incheon, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Incheon $2,839

Shanghai is about 9% cheaper than Incheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shanghai sits 8% below the global median, while Incheon is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$5.92 ₩7,874

-22.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$34.73 ₩46.2K

-13.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$6.55 ₩8,703

-19.85%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.75 ₩4,988

-12.53%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.61 ₩2,147

-64.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.64 ₩851

-43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$3.42 ₩4,544

-64.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$4.63 ₩6,162

-50.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$2.04 ₩2,715

-9.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$3.13 ₩4,160

-37.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$2.34 ₩3,109

-55.98%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$3.33 ₩4,427

-49.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$15.51 ₩20.6K

9.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$7.88 ₩10.5K

-59.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$11.06 ₩14.7K

16.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$7.84 ₩10.4K

-71.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$3.16 ₩4,206

-47.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$5.66 ₩7,529

-64.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$6.38 ₩8,481

-73.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$3.45 ₩4,585

-77.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.42 ₩3,213

-61.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$2.08 ₩2,768

-69.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$1.15 ₩1,528

-47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.47 ₩4,609

9.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$18.82 ₩25.0K

-42.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$2.20 ₩2,931

-62.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$3.24 ₩4,306

-50.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.06 ₩1,412

-42.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$24.53 ₩32.6K

19.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.57 ₩4,752

-40.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.64 ₩852

-32.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$9.24 ₩12.3K

-1.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.40 ₩1,860

-5.00%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$29.0K ₩38.6M

-34.41%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$28.6K ₩38.0M

-34.49%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$209 ₩277.2K

-72.27%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$35.24 ₩46.9K

-77.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$20.80 ₩27.7K

-49.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$33.40 ₩44.4K

96.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$38.21 ₩50.8K

-53.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$11.26 ₩15.0K

-20.52%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$295 ₩392.8K

378.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$18.2K ₩24.1M

53.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$57.1 ₩76.0K

-5.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$32.82 ₩43.6K

13.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$69.5 ₩92.4K

6.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$84.3 ₩112.1K

25.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$611 ₩812.1K

72.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$361 ₩480.1K

61.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,275 ₩1.7M

94.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$693 ₩921.3K

77.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$6,723 ₩8.9M

107.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$5,498 ₩7.3M

13.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$2,411 ₩3.2M

-29.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

4.08

-17.65%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Incheon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Incheon

$361 26.3% 38.2% $224

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Incheon

$399 29% 69.8% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Incheon

$110 8% 10% $12

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Incheon

$147 10.7% 39% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Incheon

$56 4.1% 33.1% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Incheon

$265 19.3% 246% $188

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Incheon

$36 2.6% 1.5% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $611 in Incheon. 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 41% higher in Incheon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $35.00 in Incheon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $399 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇷 Incheon

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

06:26 6:26 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

2,870,545

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Shanghai Incheon 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Incheon

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 Incheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Incheon is pricier by about 10%, 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 $2,059 in Incheon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai and $35.00 in Incheon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,244 in Shanghai and $1,373 in Incheon. That's a gap of about 10%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Incheon at $1,373. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Incheon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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