Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Liuzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Liuzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,209 per month in Shanghai vs $728 in Liuzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,979 per month in Shanghai vs $1,126 in Liuzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Shanghai vs $1,524 in Liuzhou, rent included.

Shanghai costs about 66% more than Liuzhou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Shanghai and Liuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 10% lower, Liuzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.90 ¥33.17

$2.60 ¥17.61

88.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.30 ¥246

$15.49 ¥105

134.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ¥37.83

$3.73 ¥25.21

49.87%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ¥24.03

$3.31 ¥22.40

7.25%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$0.50 ¥3.35

14.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.46

$0.25 ¥1.70

44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ¥9.66

$0.87 ¥5.88

64.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ¥19.25

$2.07 ¥14.03

37.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ¥14.60

$1.62 ¥10.94

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ¥12.02

$2.11 ¥14.29

-15.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.42

$1.76 ¥11.92

-37.50%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.44

$1.46 ¥9.86

15.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.30 ¥104

$12.67 ¥85.7

20.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥21.12

$3.38 ¥22.85

-7.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ¥72.8

$11.00 ¥74.4

-2.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ¥15.29

$1.71 ¥11.57

32.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ¥11.31

$1.03 ¥6.99

62.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.17

$1.41 ¥9.51

27.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.35

$2.13 ¥14.38

-28.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.46

$0.67 ¥4.54

20.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.52

$0.90 ¥6.09

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.61

$0.84 ¥5.72

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$1.09 ¥7.40

-48.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ¥19.19

$3.66 ¥24.79

-22.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 ¥78.5

$11.95 ¥80.8

-2.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.32

$0.84 ¥5.68

-5.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.07

$2.72 ¥18.40

-39.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.29 ¥1.96

48.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.41 ¥233

$16.95 ¥115

103.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ¥14.92

$1.41 ¥9.52

56.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.26 ¥1.74

46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 ¥56.7

$6.83 ¥46.23

22.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.71

$1.27 ¥8.62

-10.24%

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

$19.5K ¥132.2K

$15.4K ¥104.0K

27.11%

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

$18.1K ¥122.8K

$13.0K ¥87.9K

39.69%

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

$52.8 ¥357

$46.14 ¥312

14.46%

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

$8.53 ¥57.7

$9.98 ¥67.5

-14.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 ¥93.6

$10.42 ¥70.5

32.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.02 ¥318

$76.7 ¥519

-38.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.81 ¥134

$14.17 ¥95.9

39.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 ¥57.2

$4.99 ¥33.78

69.54%

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

$1,303 ¥8,813

$230 ¥1,553

467.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K ¥213.6K

$16.9K ¥114.6K

86.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥403

$37.87 ¥256

57.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥258

$22.56 ¥153

68.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ¥533

$60.2 ¥407

30.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 ¥671

$52.4 ¥355

89.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,309

$221 ¥1,496

321.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 ¥3,856

$171 ¥1,155

233.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 ¥16.8K

$386 ¥2,612

544.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ¥8,066

$297 ¥2,011

301.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥94.6K

$3,155 ¥21.3K

343.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,729 ¥45.5K

$1,774 ¥12.0K

279.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,689 ¥11.4K

$585 ¥3,957

188.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.87

-7.49%

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

Last update for Shanghai: June 2, 2026

Last update for Liuzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Shanghai versus $221 in Liuzhou. 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 189% higher in Shanghai, 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 $36.00 in Shanghai versus $15.00 in Liuzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $223 – making Liuzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Liuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,209 in Shanghai, $728 in Liuzhou – roughly 66% apart. Shanghai costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,814 per month in Shanghai and $1,093 in Liuzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 1% more in Shanghai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Shanghai and $15.00 in Liuzhou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Liuzhou, where all-in costs run around $728, than in Shanghai at $1,209. In Liuzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Liuzhou. 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.