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Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Kunshan Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Kunshan

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Shanghai is 21% more expensive than Kunshan without rent, and 62.4% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Shanghai is 31.5% more expensive than Kunshan without rent, and 80% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Shanghai
Kunshan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.77 ยฅ33.30
$2.77 ยฅ19.36
72.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.92 ยฅ251
$21.35 ยฅ149
68.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.45 ยฅ38.01
$4.92 ยฅ34.37
10.77%
Cappuccino
$3.42 ยฅ23.89
$3.10 ยฅ21.61
10.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 ยฅ4.07
$0.46 ยฅ3.23
26.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ยฅ2.35
$0.29 ยฅ2.04
17.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.42 ยฅ9.91
$0.89 ยฅ6.23
59.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 ยฅ19.56
$2.07 ยฅ14.44
35.27%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Shanghai
Kunshan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.09 ยฅ14.59
$1.79 ยฅ12.46
16.76%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 ยฅ12.92
$1.60 ยฅ11.15
15.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.10 ยฅ7.66
$0.96 ยฅ6.70
14.58%
Eggs
$1.60 ยฅ11.20
$1.62 ยฅ11.27
-1.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.28 ยฅ107
$12.90 ยฅ90.0
18.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.08 ยฅ21.53
$3.15 ยฅ21.97
-2.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.85 ยฅ75.8
$10.13 ยฅ70.7
7.11%
Apples (1kg)
$2.33 ยฅ16.30
$1.81 ยฅ12.66
28.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 ยฅ12.35
$1.24 ยฅ8.68
42.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 ยฅ12.42
$1.49 ยฅ10.42
19.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 ยฅ10.28
$1.09 ยฅ7.64
34.86%
Potato (1kg)
$0.81 ยฅ5.64
$0.74 ยฅ5.19
9.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 ยฅ8.10
$0.89 ยฅ6.23
30.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ยฅ4.37
$0.56 ยฅ3.88
12.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ยฅ4.17
$0.54 ยฅ3.77
11.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.77 ยฅ19.35
$3.07 ยฅ21.40
-9.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.49 ยฅ80.2
$10.47 ยฅ73.1
9.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 ยฅ5.86
$0.76 ยฅ5.28
10.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 ยฅ11.27
$1.59 ยฅ11.09
1.26%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Shanghai
Kunshan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ยฅ2.79
$0.29 ยฅ2.04
37.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.13 ยฅ238
$16.63 ยฅ116
105.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.29 ยฅ15.98
$1.42 ยฅ9.90
61.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 ยฅ2.63
$0.35 ยฅ2.45
8.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.32 ยฅ58.1
$6.66 ยฅ46.52
24.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 ยฅ8.00
$1.13 ยฅ7.92
1.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K ยฅ137.2K
$19.7K ยฅ137.6K
-0.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.3K ยฅ127.5K
$17.4K ยฅ121.5K
4.90%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shanghai
Kunshan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$52.1 ยฅ363
$45.33 ยฅ316
14.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.79 ยฅ61.3
$9.68 ยฅ67.6
-9.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.87 ยฅ96.8
$11.87 ยฅ82.8
16.85%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Shanghai
Kunshan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.42 ยฅ324
$42.23 ยฅ295
9.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.78 ยฅ138
$13.85 ยฅ96.6
42.82%
Cinema Ticket
$8.28 ยฅ57.8
$6.09 ยฅ42.53
35.96%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Shanghai
Kunshan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,297 ยฅ9,056
$339 ยฅ2,369
282.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.9K ยฅ215.7K
$16.8K ยฅ117.6K
83.43%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Shanghai
Kunshan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 ยฅ417
$43.95 ยฅ307
36.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.03 ยฅ265
$30.70 ยฅ214
23.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.5 ยฅ541
$71.7 ยฅ500
8.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.3 ยฅ693
$72.9 ยฅ509
36.30%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Shanghai
Kunshan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$944 ยฅ6,591
$276 ยฅ1,930
241.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$570 ยฅ3,981
$191 ยฅ1,331
198.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,460 ยฅ17.2K
$596 ยฅ4,161
312.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,204 ยฅ8,401
$354 ยฅ2,473
239.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$14.2K ยฅ99.5K
$3,051 ยฅ21.3K
367.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,080 ยฅ49.4K
$2,033 ยฅ14.2K
248.31%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Shanghai
Kunshan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,632 ยฅ11.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.58
3.89
-7.97%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Shanghai: January 10, 2026

Last update for Kunshan: January 11, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
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