Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Itoman

For one person, living is cheaper in Itoman: $1,150 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Itoman
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Itoman Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Itoman

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,150

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Itoman

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

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Shanghai vs $1,150 in Itoman, rent included.

Shanghai $1,256
Itoman $1,150

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,811 in Itoman, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Itoman $1,811

A family of three spends $2,743 per month in Shanghai vs $2,473 in Itoman, rent included.

Shanghai $2,743
Itoman $2,473

Shanghai costs about 9% more than Itoman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Shanghai and Itoman are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 7% lower, Itoman 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$3.12 ¥492

42.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$40.23 ¥6,356

-24.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$3.71 ¥587

37.20%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$2.46 ¥389

39.43%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.98 ¥155

-36.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.79 ¥125

-50.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$2.04 ¥322

-39.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$4.50 ¥711

-50.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.62 ¥255

14.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$0.80 ¥127

143.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$2.10 ¥333

-52.38%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.82 ¥287

-6.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$17.65 ¥2,789

-1.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$2.91 ¥459

11.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$7.06 ¥1,116

83.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$3.60 ¥570

-37.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$2.60 ¥411

-35.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$2.14 ¥337

-8.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$4.99 ¥788

-65.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$2.46 ¥388

-69.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$2.56 ¥405

-64.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$1.27 ¥201

-48.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$0.64 ¥101

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.89 ¥614

-5.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$5.54 ¥875

97.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$1.96 ¥310

-55.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$3.33 ¥526

-51.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$1.50 ¥237

-58.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$53.7 ¥8,486

-43.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$3.76 ¥594

-45.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$3.46 ¥546

-86.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$11.21 ¥1,770

-21.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.06 ¥167

25.47%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$20.8K ¥3.3M

-7.31%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$15.0K ¥2.4M

21.62%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$161 ¥25.4K

-64.48%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$25.40 ¥4,013

-68.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$37.99 ¥6,002

-71.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$52.9 ¥8,363

22.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$11.87 ¥1,875

-23.76%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$332 ¥52.4K

334.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$5,598 ¥884.4K

403.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$48.55 ¥7,670

10.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$23.71 ¥3,746

56.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$48.74 ¥7,700

57.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$96.5 ¥15.2K

7.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$534 ¥84.4K

91.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$330 ¥52.1K

80.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$1,115 ¥176.2K

129.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$729 ¥115.2K

66.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$4,191 ¥662.1K

222.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$1,758 ¥277.8K

255.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.23

50.67%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Itoman: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Itoman

$330 28.7% 44.5% $264

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Itoman

$249 21.6% 4.6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Itoman

$98 8.5% 19.9% $24

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Itoman

$92 8% 13.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Itoman

$77 6.7% 7.3% $6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Itoman

$224 19.5% 196% $148

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Itoman

$81 7% 117% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,023 in Shanghai versus $534 in Itoman. 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 $30.00 in Shanghai versus $40.00 in Itoman. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $249 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Itoman

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

23:14 11:14 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

61,007

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Itoman 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Itoman

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 Itoman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Shanghai and $1,725 in Itoman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Itoman, 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 $40.00 in Itoman. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Shanghai and $1,150 in Itoman. That's a gap of about 9%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Itoman, where all-in costs run around $1,150, than in Shanghai at $1,256. In Itoman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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