Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Jilin

For one person, living is cheaper in Jilin: $722 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Jilin
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Jilin Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Jilin

🇨🇳 China

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Jilin

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Shanghai vs $722 in Jilin, rent included.

Shanghai $1,222
Jilin $722

A couple spends around $1,971 per month in Shanghai vs $1,195 in Jilin, rent included.

Shanghai $1,971
Jilin $1,195

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in Shanghai vs $1,669 in Jilin, rent included.

Shanghai $2,720
Jilin $1,669

Shanghai costs about 69% more than Jilin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Shanghai and Jilin are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 10% lower, Jilin 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$3.05 ¥20.31

48.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$22.62 ¥151

33.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.04

$5.17 ¥34.37

-1.16%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.70

$3.43 ¥22.83

-0.58%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.44 ¥2.96

31.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.27 ¥1.80

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$1.09 ¥7.24

12.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$2.31 ¥15.39

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.52

$1.75 ¥11.64

7.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.61 ¥10.70

20.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$0.99 ¥6.59

-1.01%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.31

$1.57 ¥10.46

8.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$15.29 ¥102

11.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$3.12 ¥20.73

3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$11.08 ¥73.7

16.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$1.88 ¥12.51

14.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$1.27 ¥8.44

36.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$1.47 ¥9.79

38.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.29 ¥8.62

34.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.66 ¥4.38

25.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$1.02 ¥6.79

-9.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.59 ¥3.96

13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.59 ¥3.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.10

$3.77 ¥25.12

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$10.21 ¥68.0

8.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$0.76 ¥5.07

18.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.60 ¥10.65

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.34 ¥2.28

67.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$17.48 ¥116

69.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$1.08 ¥7.17

98.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.26 ¥1.73

80.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$7.13 ¥47.44

22.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.27 ¥8.43

5.51%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$19.8K ¥132.1K

-2.98%

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

$18.3K ¥121.7K

$17.6K ¥116.9K

4.09%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$61.3 ¥408

-3.87%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$8.26 ¥55.0

-4.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$10.67 ¥71.0

-0.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$39.37 ¥262

64.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$16.99 ¥113

2.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$6.41 ¥42.67

41.34%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$440 ¥2,930

260.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$17.7K ¥117.5K

59.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$42.55 ¥283

28.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$32.53 ¥217

14.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$76.4 ¥508

-2.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$76.0 ¥506

39.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,826

$244 ¥1,623

320.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,722

$163 ¥1,085

243.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$584 ¥3,884

348.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,926

$406 ¥2,704

193.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$3,551 ¥23.6K

276.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$2,139 ¥14.2K

205.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

$441 ¥2,935

288.18%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Jilin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Jilin

$163 22.6% 70.9% $396

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Jilin

$209 28.9% 11.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Jilin

$102 14.2% 16.5% $20

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Jilin

$94 13% 12.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Jilin

$52 7.2% 37% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Jilin

$80 11.1% 3.6% $2.8

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Jilin

$21 2.9% 41.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,026 in Shanghai versus $244 in Jilin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Shanghai are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai versus $23 in Jilin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $209 – making Jilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Jilin

🕒 Local time

01:58 1:58 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

3,623,713

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Shanghai Jilin 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Jilin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai costs about 69% more than Jilin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Shanghai and $1,083 in Jilin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jilin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $244 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

Kindergarten costs $1,587 per month in Shanghai and $440 in Jilin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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 $800 monthly budget goes further in Jilin, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Jilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jilin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Jilin. 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.