Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Maoming

For one person, living is cheaper in Maoming: $705 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Maoming
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Maoming Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Maoming

🇨🇳 China

$705

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Maoming

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Shanghai vs $705 in Maoming, rent included.

Shanghai $1,222
Maoming $705

A couple spends around $1,971 per month in Shanghai vs $1,117 in Maoming, rent included.

Shanghai $1,971
Maoming $1,117

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in Shanghai vs $1,529 in Maoming, rent included.

Shanghai $2,720
Maoming $1,529

Shanghai costs about 73% more than Maoming, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Shanghai and Maoming are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 10% lower, Maoming 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$2.70 ¥17.96

67.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$23.35 ¥155

29.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.04

$4.11 ¥27.32

24.33%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.70

$2.69 ¥17.90

26.77%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.50 ¥3.33

16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.29 ¥1.91

20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$1.14 ¥7.60

7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$2.08 ¥13.85

11.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.52

$1.76 ¥11.73

6.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.82 ¥12.12

6.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$0.93 ¥6.17

5.38%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.31

$1.65 ¥10.97

3.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$13.47 ¥89.7

26.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$3.41 ¥22.72

-5.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$11.29 ¥75.1

14.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$1.82 ¥12.10

18.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$1.27 ¥8.46

36.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$1.47 ¥9.79

38.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.31 ¥8.75

32.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.69 ¥4.61

20.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.97 ¥6.44

-5.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.57 ¥3.81

17.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.55 ¥3.68

7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.10

$3.98 ¥26.49

-5.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$11.31 ¥75.2

-2.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$0.85 ¥5.63

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.64 ¥10.94

-2.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.29 ¥1.92

96.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$16.63 ¥111

78.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$1.47 ¥9.78

45.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.39 ¥2.59

20.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$7.02 ¥46.72

24.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.33 ¥8.83

0.75%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$19.6K ¥130.5K

-1.82%

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

$18.3K ¥121.7K

$17.9K ¥119.1K

2.13%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$56.5 ¥376

4.34%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$8.91 ¥59.3

-11.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$10.69 ¥71.1

-0.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$33.49 ¥223

93.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$15.25 ¥102

14.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$6.22 ¥41.42

45.66%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$417 ¥2,775

280.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$16.0K ¥106.6K

76.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$38.73 ¥258

41.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$33.30 ¥222

11.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$65.0 ¥433

14.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$81.2 ¥540

30.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,826

$287 ¥1,912

256.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,722

$175 ¥1,165

219.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$608 ¥4,046

330.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,926

$319 ¥2,124

273.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$3,627 ¥24.1K

268.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$2,055 ¥13.7K

217.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

$1,051 ¥6,993

62.93%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Maoming: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Maoming

$175 24.8% 68.7% $384

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Maoming

$210 29.7% 11.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Maoming

$98 13.9% 19.9% $24

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Maoming

$79 11.2% 26% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Maoming

$46 6.5% 44.6% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Maoming

$76 10.8% 1.7% $1.3

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Maoming

$21 3% 41.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,026 in Shanghai versus $287 in Maoming. 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 63% 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 in Shanghai versus $23 in Maoming. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $210 – making Maoming the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Maoming

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

1,217,000

💱 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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Shanghai Maoming 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Maoming

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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 Maoming: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Shanghai and $1,058 in Maoming. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maoming, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $287 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Shanghai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai and $23 in Maoming. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Maoming, where all-in costs run around $705, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Maoming it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maoming – 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 Maoming. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.