Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Jingmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Jingmen: $741 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Jingmen
Learn more

Jingmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Jingmen

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Jingmen

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $741 in Jingmen, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Jingmen $741

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,215 in Jingmen, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Jingmen $1,215

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $1,689 in Jingmen, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Jingmen $1,689

Shanghai costs about 68% more than Jingmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shanghai and Jingmen are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Jingmen 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$3.08 ¥20.58

48.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$22.61 ¥151

33.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.11 ¥27.49

27.74%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.21 ¥14.76

48.42%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.43 ¥2.90

32.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.29 ¥1.92

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$0.86 ¥5.78

43.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$1.07 ¥7.17

112.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$2.00 ¥13.38

-8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.79 ¥11.94

9.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$1.03 ¥6.89

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.67 ¥11.15

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$13.15 ¥87.9

28.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.69 ¥24.66

-13.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$13.68 ¥91.4

-5.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$2.20 ¥14.73

1.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.20 ¥8.03

38.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.41 ¥9.45

43.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$1.11 ¥7.40

49.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.82 ¥5.51

-6.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.77 ¥5.16

20.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.38 ¥2.52

65.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.43 ¥2.89

39.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$6.53 ¥43.65

-41.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$14.67 ¥98.1

-25.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.75 ¥5.00

9.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$2.04 ¥13.61

-21.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.32 ¥2.14

90.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$19.67 ¥132

49.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.47 ¥9.82

43.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.29 ¥1.91

48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$4.34 ¥29.03

108.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.07 ¥7.17

24.30%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.7K ¥131.5K

-3.29%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$16.8K ¥112.5K

11.20%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$57.6 ¥385

0.33%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$7.52 ¥50.3

7.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$11.70 ¥78.3

-10.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$44.91 ¥300

46.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$12.76 ¥85.3

39.66%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$5.35 ¥35.74

67.29%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$375 ¥2,505

277.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$11.9K ¥79.3K

134.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$54.4 ¥363

-0.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$33.37 ¥223

11.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$60.6 ¥405

22.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$113 ¥756

-6.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$277 ¥1,850

281.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$170 ¥1,134

244.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$664 ¥4,438

274.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$396 ¥2,648

211.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$3,203 ¥21.4K

334.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$2,196 ¥14.7K

184.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.31

1.51%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Jingmen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Jingmen

$170 22.9% 71% $415

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Jingmen

$225 30.3% 4.2% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Jingmen

$118 15.9% 3.5% $4.3

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Jingmen

$73 9.8% 31.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Jingmen

$56 7.5% 33.5% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Jingmen

$77 10.4% 0.6% $0.5

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Jingmen

$24 3.2% 34% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $277 in Jingmen. 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 $23.00 in Jingmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $225 – making Jingmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Jingmen

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

2,873,687

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Jingmen 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Jingmen

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 Jingmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai, $741 in Jingmen – roughly 68% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,112 in Jingmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,414 per month in Shanghai and $375 in Jingmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jingmen, where all-in costs run around $741, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Jingmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jingmen – 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 Jingmen. 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.