Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,111 a month against $1,250 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Shanghai 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 Jeju
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Jeju Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,111

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Jeju

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

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Shanghai vs $1,111 in Jeju, rent included.

Shanghai $1,250
Jeju $1,111

A couple spends around $2,019 per month in Shanghai vs $1,874 in Jeju, rent included.

Shanghai $2,019
Jeju $1,874

A family of three spends $2,789 per month in Shanghai vs $2,637 in Jeju, rent included.

Shanghai $2,789
Jeju $2,637

Shanghai costs about 12% more than Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Jeju are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 7% lower, Jeju 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.40

$7.26 ₩9,726

-37.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥197

$52.0 ₩69.7K

-43.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.08

$5.44 ₩7,291

-6.25%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.88

$6.03 ₩8,080

-43.28%

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

$0.61 ¥4.11

$2.22 ₩2,981

-72.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$1.94 ₩2,595

-81.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.07

$3.58 ₩4,796

-66.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.31

$2.91 ₩3,898

-21.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.46

$2.22 ₩2,980

-16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.45

$2.21 ₩2,961

-9.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.83

$2.29 ₩3,072

-55.46%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.46

$2.70 ₩3,613

-36.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.39

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.5

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.51

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.65

$2.13 ₩2,859

-18.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.96

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.23

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.93 ₩3,925

-73.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.87 ₩2,506

-50.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$2.18 ₩2,925

-71.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.43 ₩577

34.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.60

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.1

$11.41 ₩15.3K

-4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.59

$1.93 ₩2,588

-56.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.71

$1.72 ₩2,300

-6.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.95 ₩1,272

-37.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥202

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.77

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.39 ₩1,857

-8.63%

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

$19.6K ¥131.0K

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

$18.6K ¥124.2K

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

$57.2 ¥382

$210 ₩281.8K

-72.79%

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

$8.06 ¥53.8

$54.7 ₩73.3K

-85.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.3

$19.28 ₩25.8K

-45.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

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

$1,437 ¥9,605

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.5K

$24.6K ₩32.9M

14.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥365

$52.2 ₩70.0K

4.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥243

$29.57 ₩39.6K

23.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$65.8 ₩88.1K

14.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥695

$89.9 ₩120.5K

15.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,945

$460 ₩616.5K

125.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,933

$382 ₩511.3K

54.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

$1,317 ₩1.8M

88.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,268

$1,145 ₩1.5M

8.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.8K

$10.4K ₩13.9M

30.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

$6,745 ₩9.0M

-8.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$1,840 ₩2.5M

-6.79%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Jeju

$382 34.6% 35.2% $207

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Jeju

$139 * 12.6% 41.1% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Jeju

$107 9.7% 12.2% $15

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Jeju

$187 17% 74.4% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Jeju

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Jeju

$284 25.8% 275% $209

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Jeju

$3.8 * 0.3% 89.7% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,039 in Shanghai versus $460 in Jeju. 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 7% higher in Jeju, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $52.0 in Jeju. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Shanghai vs $139 in Jeju – so Jeju wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

23:24 11:24 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

469,279

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Jeju 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Jeju

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 Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,874 per month in Shanghai and $1,667 in Jeju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 70% more in Shanghai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai and $52.0 in Jeju. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jeju, where all-in costs run around $1,111, than in Shanghai at $1,250. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jeju – 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 Jeju. 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.