Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Mianyang, Sichuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan: $645 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Mianyang, Sichuan
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Mianyang, Sichuan Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Mianyang, Sichuan

🇨🇳 China

$645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Mianyang, Sichuan

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Shanghai vs $645 in Mianyang, Sichuan, rent included.

Shanghai $1,222
Mianyang, Sichuan $645

A couple spends around $1,971 per month in Shanghai vs $997 in Mianyang, Sichuan, rent included.

Shanghai $1,971
Mianyang, Sichuan $997

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in Shanghai vs $1,349 in Mianyang, Sichuan, rent included.

Shanghai $2,720
Mianyang, Sichuan $1,349

Shanghai costs about 89% more than Mianyang, Sichuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Shanghai and Mianyang, Sichuan are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 10% lower, Mianyang, Sichuan 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$2.92 ¥19.43

55.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$18.06 ¥120

67.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.03

$4.84 ¥32.21

5.58%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.70

$3.02 ¥20.09

12.91%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.47 ¥3.13

23.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.28 ¥1.87

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$1.54 ¥10.22

-20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$2.31 ¥15.40

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.52

$1.49 ¥9.89

26.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.51 ¥10.01

28.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$1.00 ¥6.65

-2.00%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.31

$1.62 ¥10.80

4.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$14.17 ¥94.3

20.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$3.68 ¥24.50

-12.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$11.20 ¥74.6

15.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$1.90 ¥12.67

13.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$1.34 ¥8.89

29.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$1.05 ¥6.98

93.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.16 ¥7.71

49.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.71 ¥4.70

16.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.67 ¥4.45

37.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.61 ¥4.07

9.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.54 ¥3.56

9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.10

$3.84 ¥25.53

-1.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$4.53 ¥30.15

143.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$0.82 ¥5.43

9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.38 ¥9.16

15.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.31 ¥2.09

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$1.06 ¥7.08

101.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.28 ¥1.87

67.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$4.57 ¥30.39

91.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.26 ¥8.37

6.35%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$19.8K ¥131.8K

-2.84%

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

$18.3K ¥121.6K

$17.9K ¥119.2K

2.06%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$47.87 ¥319

23.04%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$6.73 ¥44.77

17.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$12.85 ¥85.5

-17.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$18.21 ¥121

255.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$5.74 ¥38.17

57.84%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$1,169 ¥7,779

35.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$14.9K ¥98.9K

90.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$25.08 ¥167

117.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$27.85 ¥185

33.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$56.3 ¥375

32.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$53.4 ¥355

98.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,825

$222 ¥1,480

361.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,721

$191 ¥1,272

192.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$428 ¥2,848

511.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,926

$329 ¥2,191

261.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$1,989 ¥13.2K

572.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$1,522 ¥10.1K

328.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

$741 ¥4,932

131.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.1

8.39%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mianyang, Sichuan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$191 29.6% 65.8% $368

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$191 29.6% 19.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$73 11.3% 40.3% $49

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$89 13.9% 16.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$30 4.6% 64.2% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$67 10.5% 12.8% $9.9

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$3.7 * 0.6% 89.7% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,026 in Shanghai versus $222 in Mianyang, Sichuan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Shanghai are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai versus $18 in Mianyang, Sichuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $191 – making Mianyang, Sichuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Mianyang, Sichuan

🕒 Local time

20:45 8:45 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

4,868,243

💱 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 Mianyang, Sichuan 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Shanghai
Mianyang, Sichuan

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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 Mianyang, Sichuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,222 in Shanghai, $645 in Mianyang, Sichuan – Mianyang, Sichuan comes out roughly 47% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Shanghai and $968 in Mianyang, Sichuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $222 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,222 in Shanghai and $645 in Mianyang, Sichuan. That makes Mianyang, Sichuan about 47% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,587 per month in Shanghai and $1,169 in Mianyang, Sichuan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Mianyang, Sichuan, where all-in costs run around $645, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Mianyang, Sichuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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