Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Kawasaki

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,481 in Kawasaki, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Kawasaki
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Kawasaki Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Kawasaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,481

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Kawasaki

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $1,481 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Kawasaki $1,481

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $2,245 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Kawasaki $2,245

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $3,009 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Kawasaki $3,009

Shanghai is about 16% cheaper than Kawasaki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shanghai sits 8% below the global median, while Kawasaki is 10% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$7.72 ¥1,220

-40.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$37.50 ¥5,924

-19.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$5.02 ¥793

4.58%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.69 ¥426

21.93%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.59 ¥251

-64.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.87 ¥137

-58.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$3.22 ¥509

-61.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$3.06 ¥484

-25.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.52 ¥241

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.55 ¥244

26.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$4.23 ¥669

-75.65%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.11 ¥333

-20.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$11.09 ¥1,751

52.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$6.63 ¥1,047

-51.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$16.37 ¥2,587

-21.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$6.27 ¥991

-64.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$2.71 ¥428

-38.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$4.95 ¥783

-59.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$5.33 ¥842

-68.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$3.27 ¥517

-76.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$3.06 ¥483

-69.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.14 ¥179

-44.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.82 ¥130

-26.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.83 ¥605

-0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$9.39 ¥1,483

15.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$2.39 ¥377

-65.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$2.71 ¥429

-40.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.90 ¥300

-67.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$51.1 ¥8,072

-42.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.07 ¥485

-31.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$3.06 ¥484

-85.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$18.85 ¥2,978

-51.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.06 ¥167

25.47%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$22.0K ¥3.5M

-13.48%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

21.55%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$124 ¥19.6K

-53.37%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$23.61 ¥3,729

-65.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$30.45 ¥4,810

-65.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$54.2 ¥8,560

21.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$6.22 ¥982

186.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$12.18 ¥1,925

-26.52%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$568 ¥89.8K

148.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$14.5K ¥2.3M

92.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$50.1 ¥7,914

7.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$33.45 ¥5,285

10.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$64.4 ¥10.2K

15.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$70.9 ¥11.2K

49.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$754 ¥119.2K

39.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$576 ¥90.9K

1.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,281 ¥202.4K

94.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$1,021 ¥161.2K

20.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$4,698 ¥742.2K

196.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$3,131 ¥494.7K

99.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$2,542 ¥401.6K

-32.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.02

66.34%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kawasaki: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Kawasaki

$576 38.9% 1.5% $9.1

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Kawasaki

$332 22.4% 41.5% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Kawasaki

$98 6.7% 19.2% $23

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Kawasaki

$141 9.5% 33.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Kawasaki

$79 5.3% 6.1% $5.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Kawasaki

$178 12% 133% $102

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Kawasaki

$77 5.2% 113% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $754 in Kawasaki. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 49% higher in Kawasaki, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $37.00 in Kawasaki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $332 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Kawasaki

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

10:49 10:49 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

1,538,262

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Shanghai Kawasaki 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Kawasaki

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 Kawasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kawasaki costs about 19% more than Shanghai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $2,222 in Kawasaki. 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 $37.00 in Kawasaki. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,244 in Shanghai and $1,481 in Kawasaki. That's a gap of about 19%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Kawasaki at $1,481. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kawasaki it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Shanghai costs $1,244 versus $1,481 in Kawasaki. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Shanghai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kawasaki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.