Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Luoyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Luoyang: $660 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Luoyang
Learn more

Luoyang Living Index

Jump to prices

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Luoyang

🇨🇳 China

$660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Luoyang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $660 in Luoyang.

Shanghai $1,244
Luoyang $660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,066 in Luoyang.

Shanghai $1,999
Luoyang $1,066

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $1,471 in Luoyang.

Shanghai $2,755
Luoyang $1,471

Living in Shanghai is roughly 88% more expensive than in Luoyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Luoyang 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$3.67 ¥24.52

24.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$29.73 ¥199

1.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$5.62 ¥37.58

-6.58%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.55 ¥23.74

-7.61%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.47 ¥3.15

21.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.27 ¥1.82

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.24 ¥8.26

-0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.92 ¥19.50

-22.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.92 ¥12.86

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$2.30 ¥15.39

-14.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$1.07 ¥7.17

-3.74%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.42 ¥9.49

17.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$13.60 ¥90.9

24.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.29 ¥21.99

-3.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$9.11 ¥60.9

41.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$0.93 ¥6.21

140.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.34 ¥8.98

23.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.50 ¥10.02

34.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$1.33 ¥8.86

24.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.75 ¥5.05

2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.89 ¥5.95

4.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.44 ¥2.93

43.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.80 ¥5.33

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$1.69 ¥11.27

124.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$13.33 ¥89.1

-18.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.47 ¥3.15

74.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$2.25 ¥15.06

-28.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.29 ¥1.91

110.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$18.21 ¥122

61.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.18 ¥7.92

78.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.35 ¥2.36

22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$7.26 ¥48.57

24.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.27 ¥8.46

4.72%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.6K ¥131.2K

-3.03%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$17.2K ¥115.3K

8.53%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$43.59 ¥291

32.62%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$6.03 ¥40.30

34.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$10.29 ¥68.8

1.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$22.19 ¥148

196.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$12.12 ¥81.0

47.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$5.59 ¥37.35

60.11%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$196 ¥1,310

621.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$18.7K ¥124.7K

49.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$50.2 ¥336

7.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$29.97 ¥200

23.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$64.4 ¥431

15.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$79.3 ¥531

33.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$188 ¥1,256

461.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$129 ¥860

354.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$438 ¥2,930

467.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$224 ¥1,499

449.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$2,162 ¥14.5K

544.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,407 ¥9,408

344.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$628 ¥4,202

172.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

4.45

-24.49%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Luoyang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Luoyang

$129 19.5% 78% $456

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Luoyang

$211 32% 10.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Luoyang

$101 15.3% 17.3% $21

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Luoyang

$104 15.7% 2.1% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Luoyang

$33 5.1% 60.1% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Luoyang

$60 9.1% 21.6% $16

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Luoyang

$22 3.4% 38.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $188 in Luoyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 172% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $30.00 in Luoyang. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $211, with Luoyang cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Luoyang

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

1,926,000

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Luoyang 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Luoyang

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 Luoyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Luoyang wins on cost – living expenses run 88% lower than in Shanghai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Luoyang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 172% higher in Shanghai, 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: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $188 in Luoyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,414 in Shanghai versus $196 in Luoyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $660 in Luoyang versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Luoyang but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Luoyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Luoyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.