Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Kawagoe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kawagoe: $1,084 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shanghai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Kawagoe
Learn more

Kawagoe Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Kawagoe

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,084

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Kawagoe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,084 in Kawagoe.

Shanghai $1,244
Kawagoe $1,084

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,747 in Kawagoe.

Shanghai $1,999
Kawagoe $1,747

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $2,409 in Kawagoe.

Shanghai $2,755
Kawagoe $2,409

Living in Shanghai is roughly 15% more expensive than in Kawagoe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Kawagoe 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$6.38 ¥1,008

-28.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$40.89 ¥6,460

-26.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$5.02 ¥793

4.58%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.41 ¥539

-3.81%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.93 ¥146

-38.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.49 ¥78.0

-26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.92 ¥304

-35.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.64 ¥417

-14.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.16 ¥183

58.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.29 ¥203

51.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$3.59 ¥566

-71.31%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.02 ¥320

-17.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$6.14 ¥970

176.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$6.24 ¥987

-48.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$14.67 ¥2,318

-12.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$5.61 ¥887

-60.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$2.30 ¥364

-27.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$2.81 ¥445

-28.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$3.11 ¥492

-46.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.55 ¥403

-69.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.87 ¥296

-50.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.30 ¥206

-51.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.74 ¥117

-18.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.86 ¥609

-1.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$4.87 ¥770

123.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.74 ¥275

-52.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$2.03 ¥320

-20.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$2.98 ¥471

-79.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$53.7 ¥8,488

-45.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.19 ¥504

-33.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$2.73 ¥431

-84.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$20.42 ¥3,226

-55.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.11 ¥175

19.82%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$15.7K ¥2.5M

20.95%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$12.9K ¥2.0M

45.39%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$131 ¥20.7K

-55.83%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$22.38 ¥3,536

-63.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$31.77 ¥5,020

-67.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$43.88 ¥6,932

49.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$32.08 ¥5,068

-44.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$11.12 ¥1,757

-19.51%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$315 ¥49.8K

348.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$6,305 ¥996.1K

341.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$31.87 ¥5,035

69.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$33.30 ¥5,261

11.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$43.84 ¥6,926

69.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$96.3 ¥15.2K

9.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$417 ¥65.8K

153.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$273 ¥43.1K

114.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$844 ¥133.4K

194.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$594 ¥93.8K

107.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$2,561 ¥404.5K

443.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,760 ¥278.0K

255.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,614 ¥255.0K

6.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

1.6

110.00%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kawagoe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Kawagoe

$273 25.2% 53.3% $312

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Kawagoe

$257 23.7% 9.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Kawagoe

$92 8.5% 24.2% $30

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Kawagoe

$128 11.8% 20.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Kawagoe

$66 6.1% 20.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Kawagoe

$185 17.1% 142% $109

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Kawagoe

$83 7.6% 129% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $417 in Kawagoe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $41.00 in Kawagoe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $257 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Kawagoe

🕒 Local time

10:07 10:07 AM

11:07 11:07 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

350,745

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Kawagoe 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Kawagoe

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 Kawagoe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Kawagoe differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $1,084 including rent). Kawagoe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Shanghai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $417 in Kawagoe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kawagoe – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,244 per month in Shanghai versus $1,084 in Kawagoe – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,084 in Kawagoe versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kawagoe but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Kawagoe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Shanghai and Kawagoe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kawagoe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.