Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Jinju

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,256 a month against $1,448 in Jinju, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Jinju despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Jinju
Learn more

Jinju Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Jinju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,448

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Jinju

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

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Shanghai vs $1,448 in Jinju, rent included.

Shanghai $1,256
Jinju $1,448

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $2,429 in Jinju, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Jinju $2,429

A family of three spends $2,743 per month in Shanghai vs $3,410 in Jinju, rent included.

Shanghai $2,743
Jinju $3,410

Shanghai is about 13% cheaper than Jinju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shanghai sits 7% below the global median, while Jinju is 7% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$8.79 ₩11.7K

-49.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$67.2 ₩89.3K

-54.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$7.33 ₩9,746

-30.56%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$4.04 ₩5,378

-15.10%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$1.63 ₩2,164

-61.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.79 ₩1,049

-50.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$3.85 ₩5,117

-68.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$5.96 ₩7,928

-62.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$2.03 ₩2,701

-8.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$3.14 ₩4,173

-37.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$4.40 ₩5,850

-77.27%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$3.65 ₩4,850

-53.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$17.53 ₩23.3K

-0.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$10.42 ₩13.9K

-68.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$25.81 ₩34.3K

-49.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$7.61 ₩10.1K

-70.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$3.38 ₩4,495

-50.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$5.69 ₩7,570

-65.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$6.44 ₩8,568

-73.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$3.74 ₩4,968

-79.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$2.60 ₩3,455

-64.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$2.87 ₩3,822

-77.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$1.15 ₩1,524

-47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.28 ₩4,367

12.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$18.58 ₩24.7K

-41.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$2.36 ₩3,144

-63.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$3.20 ₩4,258

-49.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$1.15 ₩1,527

-46.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$3.63 ₩4,823

-43.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.64 ₩846

-28.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$8.81 ₩11.7K

0.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.49 ₩1,982

-10.74%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$29.0K ₩38.6M

-33.64%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$28.1K ₩37.4M

-35.12%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$217 ₩288.6K

-73.69%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$35.79 ₩47.6K

-77.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$20.79 ₩27.6K

-48.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$55.1 ₩73.2K

17.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$13.25 ₩17.6K

30.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$11.24 ₩15.0K

-19.48%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$371 ₩493.2K

288.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$22.7K ₩30.2M

24.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$57.7 ₩76.7K

-7.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$32.31 ₩43.0K

14.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$70.2 ₩93.3K

9.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$81.9 ₩108.9K

26.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$453 ₩602.1K

125.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$318 ₩423.4K

86.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$1,162 ₩1.5M

120.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$860 ₩1.1M

41.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$6,219 ₩8.3M

117.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$6,161 ₩8.2M

1.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

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 18, 2026

Last update for Jinju: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Jinju

$318 22% 46.4% $275

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Jinju

$476 32.9% 101% $239

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Jinju

$109 7.5% 10.8% $13

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Jinju

$182 12.6% 70.3% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Jinju

$78 5.4% 6.3% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Jinju

$274 18.9% 261% $198

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Jinju

$11 * 0.8% 69.4% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,023 in Shanghai versus $453 in Jinju. 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 $67.0 in Jinju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $476 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇷 Jinju

🕒 Local time

08:49 8:49 AM

09:49 9:49 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

340,548

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Jinju 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Jinju

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 Jinju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Jinju is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Shanghai and $2,172 in Jinju. 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 $67.0 in Jinju. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 101% more in Jinju, 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 Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Jinju at $1,448. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jinju 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, Jinju makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.