Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Kunshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kunshan: $714 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Kunshan
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Kunshan Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Kunshan

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Kunshan

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $714 in Kunshan, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Kunshan $714

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,137 in Kunshan, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Kunshan $1,137

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $1,560 in Kunshan, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Kunshan $1,560

Shanghai costs about 74% more than Kunshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Kunshan are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Kunshan 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$2.76 ¥18.46

65.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$21.65 ¥145

39.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.99 ¥33.35

5.21%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.08 ¥20.60

6.49%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.46 ¥3.10

23.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.27 ¥1.80

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$0.92 ¥6.18

33.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.14 ¥14.32

6.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.86 ¥12.44

-1.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.59 ¥10.63

23.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$0.94 ¥6.29

9.57%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.59 ¥10.65

5.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$12.94 ¥86.5

31.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.14 ¥21.02

1.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$10.18 ¥68.1

26.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$1.81 ¥12.09

23.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.25 ¥8.38

32.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.49 ¥9.99

35.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$1.14 ¥7.64

45.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.73 ¥4.89

5.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.97 ¥6.50

-4.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.57 ¥3.79

10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.51 ¥3.44

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.09 ¥20.68

22.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$10.70 ¥71.5

1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.74 ¥4.93

10.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.65 ¥11.00

-2.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.29 ¥1.96

110.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$17.02 ¥114

72.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.40 ¥9.37

50.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.33 ¥2.20

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$6.49 ¥43.38

39.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.13 ¥7.58

17.70%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.5K ¥130.4K

-2.46%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$16.9K ¥113.2K

10.51%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$45.06 ¥301

28.30%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$9.74 ¥65.1

-16.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$11.75 ¥78.5

-10.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$42.03 ¥281

56.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$13.90 ¥92.9

28.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$5.99 ¥40.04

49.42%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$337 ¥2,252

319.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$16.9K ¥112.9K

64.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$43.07 ¥288

25.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$30.24 ¥202

22.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$70.7 ¥473

4.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$71.3 ¥477

48.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$274 ¥1,834

284.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$190 ¥1,271

207.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$591 ¥3,948

320.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$367 ¥2,455

235.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$3,017 ¥20.2K

361.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$2,058 ¥13.8K

203.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.89

-13.62%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kunshan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Kunshan

$190 26.7% 67.5% $395

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Kunshan

$199 27.9% 15.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Kunshan

$97 13.6% 20.5% $25

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Kunshan

$86 12% 19% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Kunshan

$54 7.6% 35.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Kunshan

$67 9.3% 12.9% $9.8

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Kunshan

$21 3% 41.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $274 in Kunshan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $22.00 in Kunshan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $199 – making Kunshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Kunshan

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

2,092,496

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Shanghai vs Kunshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,070 in Kunshan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kunshan, 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 $22.00 in Kunshan. 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 $714 in Kunshan. That's a gap of about 74%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kunshan, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Kunshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kunshan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Kunshan. 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.