Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Matsuyama

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,324 in Matsuyama, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. The total is higher in Matsuyama despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Matsuyama
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Matsuyama Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Matsuyama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,324

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Matsuyama

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $1,324 in Matsuyama, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Matsuyama $1,324

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $2,006 in Matsuyama, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Matsuyama $2,006

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $2,689 in Matsuyama, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Matsuyama $2,689

Shanghai is about 6% cheaper than Matsuyama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Matsuyama are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Matsuyama 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$6.39 ¥1,010

-28.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$31.11 ¥4,915

-2.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.96 ¥784

5.85%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.32 ¥367

41.38%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.17 ¥185

-51.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.61 ¥97.0

-40.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$2.00 ¥316

-38.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.28 ¥361

-0.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.55 ¥245

18.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.27 ¥201

54.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$5.49 ¥868

-81.24%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.08 ¥329

-19.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$12.39 ¥1,957

36.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$9.30 ¥1,470

-65.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$31.67 ¥5,003

-59.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$3.65 ¥576

-38.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$2.35 ¥371

-29.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$6.48 ¥1,024

-68.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$4.23 ¥668

-60.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$3.86 ¥610

-80.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$3.39 ¥536

-72.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.25 ¥197

-49.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.96 ¥152

-37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.51 ¥555

8.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$8.33 ¥1,317

30.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.95 ¥309

-57.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.52 ¥239

5.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.70 ¥268

-64.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$49.46 ¥7,815

-40.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.08 ¥486

-31.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$3.08 ¥487

-86.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$26.94 ¥4,257

-66.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.05 ¥167

26.67%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.8K ¥3.1M

-4.06%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$16.6K ¥2.6M

12.47%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$143 ¥22.5K

-59.48%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$24.10 ¥3,808

-66.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$43.52 ¥6,876

-75.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$58.8 ¥9,293

11.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$12.60 ¥1,990

-28.97%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$327 ¥51.7K

331.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$6,187 ¥977.5K

350.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$48.97 ¥7,737

10.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$24.93 ¥3,938

48.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$46.50 ¥7,347

59.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$66.1 ¥10.4K

59.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$534 ¥84.4K

97.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$374 ¥59.1K

56.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,186 ¥187.3K

109.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$654 ¥103.3K

88.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$4,764 ¥752.6K

192.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,942 ¥306.8K

222.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.28

47.37%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Matsuyama: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Matsuyama

$374 28.3% 36% $211

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Matsuyama

$381 28.8% 62.3% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Matsuyama

$84 6.3% 31.2% $38

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Matsuyama

$116 8.7% 9% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Matsuyama

$84 6.4% 0.5% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Matsuyama

$210 15.9% 175% $134

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Matsuyama

$75 5.7% 107% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $534 in Matsuyama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $31.00 in Matsuyama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $381 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Matsuyama

🕒 Local time

23:06 11:06 PM

00:06 12:06 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

511,192

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Matsuyama 1,100 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Matsuyama

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 Matsuyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai, $1,324 in Matsuyama – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,985 in Matsuyama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 68% less in Shanghai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,414 per month in Shanghai and $327 in Matsuyama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Matsuyama at $1,324. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Matsuyama it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Shanghai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Matsuyama makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.