Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Kaesong

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Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Kaesong

🇰🇵 North Korea

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.41

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥197

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.08

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.88

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

$0.61 ¥4.11

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.40

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.31

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.46

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.45

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.83

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.46

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

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.97

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.23

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.16

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.60

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.71

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

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

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

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

$8.06 ¥53.8

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.3

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 ¥187.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥365

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥243

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥695

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,945

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,269

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

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 Kaesong: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Kaesong

–

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Kaesong

–

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Kaesong

–

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Kaesong

–

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Kaesong

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Kaesong

–

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Kaesong

–

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇵 Kaesong

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

18:28 6:28 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

308,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.46 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Kaesong 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Kaesong

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 Kaesong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Kaesong – 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 Kaesong. 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.