Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Katha

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Katha

🇲🇲 Myanmar

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.45

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥198

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.13

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.92

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

$0.61 ¥4.12

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.41

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.33

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.48

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.47

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.84

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.48

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.43

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.7

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.54

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.67

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.99

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.18

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.64

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.60

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.73

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.53

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

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

$18.6K ¥124.4K

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

$57.2 ¥383

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

$8.06 ¥53.9

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.4

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥433

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 ¥9,620

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥366

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥244

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥696

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,956

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,940

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,282

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.9K

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 Katha: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Katha

–

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Katha

–

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Katha

–

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Katha

–

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Katha

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Katha

–

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Katha

–

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇲🇲 Katha

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

14:39 2:39 PM

1 h 30 min behind Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

26,732

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MMK, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,348 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.26 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Katha 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Shanghai
Katha

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 Katha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For families, Katha is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Shanghai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Katha wins on affordability, Shanghai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.