Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Kitakyushu

For one person, living costs are similar in Shanghai and in Kitakyushu: $1,244 and $1,240 a month, rent and utilities included.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Kitakyushu
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Kitakyushu Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Kitakyushu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,240

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Kitakyushu

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $1,240 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Kitakyushu $1,240

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,919 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Kitakyushu $1,919

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $2,599 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Kitakyushu $2,599

Shanghai and Kitakyushu have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Shanghai and Kitakyushu are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Kitakyushu 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$7.30 ¥1,153

-37.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$33.63 ¥5,314

-10.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$5.49 ¥868

-4.37%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.32 ¥525

-1.20%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.99 ¥157

-42.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.75 ¥118

-52.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$3.00 ¥475

-59.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.20 ¥348

3.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.49 ¥236

23.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.32 ¥209

48.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$5.31 ¥839

-80.60%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.30 ¥363

-27.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$9.46 ¥1,494

79.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$5.29 ¥835

-39.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$18.56 ¥2,932

-30.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$3.71 ¥586

-39.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.78 ¥282

-6.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$2.91 ¥459

-30.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$2.88 ¥455

-42.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.20 ¥347

-65.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.53 ¥399

-63.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.06 ¥168

-40.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.92 ¥145

-34.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.97 ¥626

-4.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$6.44 ¥1,017

68.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.72 ¥272

-52.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.70 ¥269

-5.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.65 ¥261

-63.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$53.2 ¥8,405

-44.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.91 ¥617

-46.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$2.09 ¥331

-79.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$17.98 ¥2,840

-49.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.04 ¥164

27.88%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$20.8K ¥3.3M

-8.54%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$17.8K ¥2.8M

5.20%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$195 ¥30.9K

-70.41%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$24.96 ¥3,944

-67.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$32.31 ¥5,105

-67.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$51.4 ¥8,126

27.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$3.22 ¥508

453.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$11.19 ¥1,768

-20.02%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$371 ¥58.7K

280.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$12.4K ¥2.0M

125.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$49.57 ¥7,832

8.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$25.75 ¥4,069

44.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$66.4 ¥10.5K

11.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$54.8 ¥8,658

92.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$522 ¥82.5K

102.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$333 ¥52.6K

75.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,106 ¥174.7K

124.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$725 ¥114.6K

69.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$4,174 ¥659.5K

233.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,729 ¥273.1K

261.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,510 ¥238.5K

13.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

1.69

98.82%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kitakyushu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Kitakyushu

$333 26.9% 43% $252

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Kitakyushu

$276 22.3% 17.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Kitakyushu

$88 7.1% 27.5% $33

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Kitakyushu

$141 11.4% 33.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Kitakyushu

$74 6% 11.7% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Kitakyushu

$253 20.4% 231% $176

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Kitakyushu

$74 6% 106% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $522 in Kitakyushu. 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 13% higher in Shanghai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $34.00 in Kitakyushu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $276 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Kitakyushu

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

17:26 5:26 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

939,029

💱 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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Shanghai Kitakyushu 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Kitakyushu

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 Kitakyushu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,859 in Kitakyushu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kitakyushu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Shanghai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $1,414 per month in Shanghai and $371 in Kitakyushu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kitakyushu, where all-in costs run around $1,240, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Kitakyushu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Kitakyushu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,240 in Kitakyushu to $1,244 in Shanghai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Kitakyushu. 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.