Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Lianyungang

For one person, living is cheaper in Lianyungang: $761 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Lianyungang
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Lianyungang Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Lianyungang

🇨🇳 China

$761

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Lianyungang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Shanghai versus $761 in Lianyungang.

Shanghai $1,222
Lianyungang $761

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,971 in Shanghai versus $1,155 in Lianyungang.

Shanghai $1,971
Lianyungang $1,155

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,720 in Shanghai versus $1,549 in Lianyungang.

Shanghai $2,720
Lianyungang $1,549

Living in Shanghai is roughly 61% more expensive than in Lianyungang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Lianyungang 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$3.08 ¥20.52

47.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$18.28 ¥122

64.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.04

$4.54 ¥30.22

12.56%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.70

$2.73 ¥18.18

24.91%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.51 ¥3.39

13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.32 ¥2.14

9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$1.11 ¥7.38

10.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$2.69 ¥17.89

-14.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.52

$1.92 ¥12.76

-2.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.41 ¥9.37

37.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$1.03 ¥6.86

-4.85%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.31

$1.34 ¥8.92

26.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$16.35 ¥109

4.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$4.43 ¥29.47

-27.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$10.00 ¥66.6

29.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$1.18 ¥7.84

82.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$0.63 ¥4.17

174.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$0.92 ¥6.12

120.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$0.47 ¥3.14

268.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.73 ¥4.85

13.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.46 ¥3.06

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.29 ¥1.91

131.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.44 ¥2.92

34.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.10

$3.83 ¥25.51

-1.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$14.76 ¥98.2

-25.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$1.08 ¥7.18

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.59 ¥10.55

0.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.29 ¥1.91

96.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$15.68 ¥104

88.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$1.47 ¥9.81

45.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.45 ¥2.99

4.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$8.79 ¥58.5

-0.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.30 ¥8.66

3.08%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$19.2K ¥128.0K

0.07%

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

$18.3K ¥121.7K

$17.7K ¥118.0K

3.13%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$70.2 ¥467

-16.13%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$6.73 ¥44.76

17.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$7.82 ¥52.0

35.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$38.74 ¥258

67.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$13.77 ¥91.6

26.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$6.46 ¥42.97

40.25%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$368 ¥2,450

330.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$17.5K ¥116.7K

60.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$36.97 ¥246

47.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$36.62 ¥244

1.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$75.4 ¥502

-1.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$88.9 ¥592

19.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,826

$283 ¥1,883

262.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,722

$205 ¥1,363

173.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$609 ¥4,056

329.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,926

$334 ¥2,225

256.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$3,313 ¥22.0K

303.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$2,167 ¥14.4K

201.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

$596 ¥3,969

187.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.37

-0.30%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lianyungang: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Lianyungang

$205 26.9% 63.4% $354

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Lianyungang

$207 27.2% 12.4% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Lianyungang

$107 14.1% 12.7% $16

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Lianyungang

$85 11.2% 20.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Lianyungang

$52 6.8% 37.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Lianyungang

$85 11.1% 9.5% $7.4

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Lianyungang

$21 2.7% 43.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,026 in Shanghai and $283 in Lianyungang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $30 in Shanghai vs $18 in Lianyungang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $207 per month, with Lianyungang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Lianyungang

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

4,393,914

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Lianyungang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lianyungang wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Shanghai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lianyungang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Shanghai is about 2.9 times higher, 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: $1,026 in Shanghai versus $283 in Lianyungang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lianyungang runs roughly 47% less than in Shanghai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,587 in Shanghai versus $368 in Lianyungang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

For families, Lianyungang is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Shanghai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Lianyungang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.