Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Miyazaki

For one person, living is cheaper in Miyazaki: $1,101 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shanghai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Miyazaki
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Miyazaki Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Miyazaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,101

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Miyazaki

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,101 in Miyazaki.

Shanghai $1,244
Miyazaki $1,101

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,713 in Miyazaki.

Shanghai $1,999
Miyazaki $1,713

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $2,326 in Miyazaki.

Shanghai $2,755
Miyazaki $2,326

Living in Shanghai is roughly 13% more expensive than in Miyazaki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Miyazaki 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$6.09 ¥962

-25.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$27.09 ¥4,280

11.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.64 ¥734

13.15%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.27 ¥359

44.49%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.05 ¥166

-45.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.62 ¥97.6

-41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.56 ¥247

-21.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.27 ¥359

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.30 ¥205

41.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.56 ¥246

25.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$2.55 ¥403

-59.61%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.09 ¥330

-20.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$12.78 ¥2,020

32.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$5.48 ¥866

-41.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$18.80 ¥2,970

-31.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$3.55 ¥561

-36.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.76 ¥278

-5.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$2.81 ¥444

-28.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$3.24 ¥512

-48.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$1.86 ¥293

-58.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.92 ¥303

-51.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.65 ¥103

-3.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.92 ¥145

-34.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$4.02 ¥636

-5.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$6.13 ¥969

77.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.69 ¥267

-51.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.84 ¥290

-12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.50 ¥236

-59.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$60.4 ¥9,534

-51.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.39 ¥535

-37.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$2.00 ¥316

-78.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$16.12 ¥2,547

-43.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.06 ¥167

25.47%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$21.7K ¥3.4M

-12.35%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

22.59%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$107 ¥16.9K

-46.04%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$24.40 ¥3,854

-66.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$33.64 ¥5,314

-68.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$48.02 ¥7,587

36.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$11.09 ¥1,752

-19.30%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$125 ¥19.7K

1034.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$12.4K ¥2.0M

124.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$48.06 ¥7,593

12.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$25.09 ¥3,963

47.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$57.2 ¥9,034

29.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$46.45 ¥7,339

127.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$534 ¥84.4K

97.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$325 ¥51.3K

79.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,172 ¥185.2K

111.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$658 ¥104.0K

87.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$4,471 ¥706.4K

211.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,915 ¥302.6K

226.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,253 ¥198.0K

36.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

1.97

70.56%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Miyazaki: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Miyazaki

$325 29.5% 44.4% $260

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Miyazaki

$272 24.8% 16.1% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Miyazaki

$80 7.2% 34.7% $42

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Miyazaki

$109 9.9% 2.8% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Miyazaki

$70 6.4% 16% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Miyazaki

$165 15% 116% $89

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Miyazaki

$80 7.2% 121% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $534 in Miyazaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 37% 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 $27.00 in Miyazaki. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $272, with Shanghai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Miyazaki

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

14:48 2:48 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

401,339

💱 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 →

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Shanghai Miyazaki 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Miyazaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Miyazaki differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $1,101 including rent). Miyazaki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% 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 $534 in Miyazaki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Miyazaki – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,244 per month in Shanghai versus $1,101 in Miyazaki – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,101 in Miyazaki versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miyazaki but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Miyazaki 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.

Safety-wise, Shanghai and Miyazaki are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Miyazaki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.