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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,192 per month in Shanghai vs $728 in Liuzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,958 per month in Shanghai vs $1,126 in Liuzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,724 per month in Shanghai vs $1,523 in Liuzhou, rent included.

Shanghai costs about 64% more than Liuzhou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Shanghai and Liuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 11% lower, Liuzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ¥31.92

$2.55 ¥17.26

85.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.92 ¥243

$15.47 ¥105

132.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 ¥38.75

$3.60 ¥24.33

59.44%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ¥23.76

$3.44 ¥23.24

2.33%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$0.55 ¥3.69

3.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.25

$0.25 ¥1.70

32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ¥9.18

$0.95 ¥6.40

43.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ¥19.17

$2.11 ¥14.28

34.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ¥14.18

$1.65 ¥11.13

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ¥12.13

$2.15 ¥14.51

-16.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.12

$1.70 ¥11.48

-38.24%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.33

$1.48 ¥10.03

13.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.78 ¥107

$12.62 ¥85.3

25.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ¥21.39

$3.42 ¥23.11

-7.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 ¥74.5

$10.92 ¥73.8

0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ¥16.05

$1.63 ¥11.02

46.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.45

$1.04 ¥7.04

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.05

$1.35 ¥9.15

31.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.82

$2.12 ¥14.31

-31.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.63

$0.67 ¥4.50

23.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.62

$0.91 ¥6.18

24.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$0.91 ¥6.16

-25.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.05

$1.13 ¥7.65

-46.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.03

$3.60 ¥24.35

-21.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 ¥79.3

$9.75 ¥65.9

20.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.27

$0.83 ¥5.57

-6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.62

$2.85 ¥19.28

-44.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.27 ¥1.80

51.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.05 ¥237

$16.56 ¥112

111.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ¥15.26

$1.36 ¥9.18

66.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.52

$0.28 ¥1.91

32.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.18 ¥55.3

$6.88 ¥46.47

18.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$1.27 ¥8.55

-9.45%

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

$19.3K ¥130.3K

$15.5K ¥104.5K

24.68%

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

$17.7K ¥119.8K

$12.6K ¥85.4K

40.27%

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

$53.0 ¥358

$44.42 ¥300

19.36%

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

$8.77 ¥59.3

$9.69 ¥65.5

-9.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.78 ¥93.1

$10.52 ¥71.1

30.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.42 ¥307

$74.3 ¥502

-38.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥135

$13.88 ¥93.8

44.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.30 ¥56.1

$4.76 ¥32.14

74.37%

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

$1,264 ¥8,542

$230 ¥1,557

448.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K ¥214.0K

$17.2K ¥116.5K

83.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 ¥390

$38.73 ¥262

48.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 ¥256

$23.13 ¥156

63.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥520

$59.3 ¥401

29.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 ¥654

$52.5 ¥354

84.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 ¥6,456

$223 ¥1,505

328.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,749

$171 ¥1,157

224.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 ¥16.9K

$383 ¥2,587

552.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ¥8,154

$294 ¥1,989

309.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.3K ¥96.6K

$3,117 ¥21.1K

358.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,625 ¥44.8K

$1,826 ¥12.3K

262.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,702 ¥11.5K

$580 ¥3,921

193.27%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Liuzhou: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $955 in Shanghai versus $223 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 193% 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: $228 vs $219 – 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: $1,192 in Shanghai, $728 in Liuzhou – roughly 64% apart. Shanghai costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,788 per month in Shanghai and $1,092 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 4% 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 $1,192. 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.