Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Liuzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Liuzhou: $770 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Liuzhou
Learn more

Liuzhou Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Liuzhou

🇨🇳 China

$770

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Liuzhou

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $770 in Liuzhou, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Liuzhou $770

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,196 in Liuzhou, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Liuzhou $1,196

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $1,621 in Liuzhou, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Liuzhou $1,621

Shanghai costs about 61% more than Liuzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Liuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Liuzhou 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$2.79 ¥18.65

63.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$22.22 ¥149

35.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$5.17 ¥34.55

1.55%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.79 ¥18.68

17.56%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.51 ¥3.42

11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.31 ¥2.10

16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.06 ¥7.10

16.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.12 ¥14.16

7.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.81 ¥12.08

1.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.61 ¥10.75

21.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$0.99 ¥6.62

4.04%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.66 ¥11.10

0.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$13.17 ¥88.1

28.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.31 ¥22.14

-3.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$10.98 ¥73.4

17.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$1.47 ¥9.85

52.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$0.88 ¥5.87

88.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.49 ¥9.94

35.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$1.27 ¥8.51

30.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.74 ¥4.92

4.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.96 ¥6.40

-3.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.63 ¥4.20

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.56 ¥3.75

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.85 ¥25.74

-1.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$11.99 ¥80.2

-9.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.87 ¥5.82

-5.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.56 ¥10.42

3.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.29 ¥1.93

110.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$17.81 ¥119

65.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.52 ¥10.18

38.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.33 ¥2.19

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$6.96 ¥46.54

30.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.35 ¥9.02

-1.48%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.7K ¥132.0K

-3.61%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$17.7K ¥118.3K

5.71%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$57.1 ¥382

1.23%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$8.60 ¥57.5

-5.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$11.23 ¥75.1

-6.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$82.2 ¥550

-20.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$15.17 ¥101

17.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$6.25 ¥41.77

43.20%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$425 ¥2,842

232.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$17.7K ¥118.2K

57.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$43.51 ¥291

24.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$33.03 ¥221

12.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$73.9 ¥494

0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$73.6 ¥492

43.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$240 ¥1,603

340.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$188 ¥1,257

210.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$423 ¥2,827

487.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$319 ¥2,133

286.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$3,425 ¥22.9K

306.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,957 ¥13.1K

219.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$594 ¥3,970

188.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Liuzhou: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Liuzhou

$188 24.4% 67.8% $397

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Liuzhou

$204 26.4% 13.3% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Liuzhou

$101 13.1% 17.3% $21

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Liuzhou

$84 10.9% 20.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Liuzhou

$95 12.3% 13.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Liuzhou

$77 10% 0.7% $0.6

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Liuzhou

$22 2.9% 38.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $240 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 188% 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 $30.00 in Shanghai versus $22.00 in Liuzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $204 – making Liuzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Liuzhou

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

4,157,934

💱 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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Between locations

Shanghai Liuzhou 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Liuzhou

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 Liuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai, $770 in Liuzhou – roughly 61% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,156 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 15% 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 $30.00 in Shanghai and $22.00 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 $770, than in Shanghai at $1,244. 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.