Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Mudanjiang

For one person, living is cheaper in Mudanjiang: $736 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Mudanjiang
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Mudanjiang Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Mudanjiang

🇨🇳 China

$736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Mudanjiang

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

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Shanghai vs $736 in Mudanjiang, rent included.

Shanghai $1,256
Mudanjiang $736

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,158 in Mudanjiang, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Mudanjiang $1,158

A family of three spends $2,743 per month in Shanghai vs $1,581 in Mudanjiang, rent included.

Shanghai $2,743
Mudanjiang $1,581

Shanghai costs about 71% more than Mudanjiang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Shanghai and Mudanjiang are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 7% lower, Mudanjiang 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$3.05 ¥20.43

45.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$13.31 ¥89.0

127.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$6.08 ¥40.66

-16.28%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$2.74 ¥18.30

25.18%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.43 ¥2.86

44.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.29 ¥1.91

34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$1.05 ¥7.04

17.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$2.14 ¥14.33

3.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.80 ¥12.03

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$1.64 ¥10.98

18.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$0.92 ¥6.17

8.70%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.61 ¥10.74

6.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$13.47 ¥90.1

29.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$3.43 ¥22.92

-5.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$11.05 ¥73.9

17.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$1.85 ¥12.36

21.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$1.31 ¥8.79

28.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.50 ¥10.00

30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$1.25 ¥8.39

38.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$0.74 ¥4.97

2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.89 ¥5.96

3.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$0.63 ¥4.24

4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$0.59 ¥3.97

1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.64 ¥24.34

1.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$11.69 ¥78.2

-6.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$0.81 ¥5.45

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$1.60 ¥10.70

1.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.31 ¥2.07

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$17.77 ¥119

70.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$1.46 ¥9.78

41.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.36 ¥2.39

27.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$7.01 ¥46.88

26.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.30 ¥8.67

2.31%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$19.7K ¥131.6K

-2.18%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$17.1K ¥114.4K

6.67%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$58.2 ¥389

-1.79%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$8.46 ¥56.6

-4.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$11.09 ¥74.2

-3.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$41.44 ¥277

55.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$14.68 ¥98.1

17.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$6.22 ¥41.61

45.50%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$416 ¥2,782

246.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$17.8K ¥118.8K

58.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$43.96 ¥294

21.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$33.55 ¥224

10.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$75.6 ¥506

1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$73.4 ¥491

41.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$303 ¥2,028

237.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$183 ¥1,223

224.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$631 ¥4,218

306.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$381 ¥2,545

218.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$3,508 ¥23.5K

285.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$1,975 ¥13.2K

216.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

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 18, 2026

Last update for Mudanjiang: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Mudanjiang

$183 24.9% 69.2% $411

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Mudanjiang

$209 28.4% 12% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Mudanjiang

$102 13.9% 16.5% $20

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Mudanjiang

$88 12% 17.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Mudanjiang

$54 7.3% 34.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Mudanjiang

$78 10.6% 2.4% $1.8

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Mudanjiang

$22 3% 40.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,023 in Shanghai versus $303 in Mudanjiang. 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 $13.00 in Mudanjiang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $209 – making Mudanjiang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Mudanjiang

🕒 Local time

18:37 6:37 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

965,154

💱 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

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Shanghai Mudanjiang 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Shanghai vs Mudanjiang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai costs about 71% more than Mudanjiang, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Shanghai and $1,103 in Mudanjiang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Shanghai and $736 in Mudanjiang. That's a gap of about 71%.

Public transport costs about 71% less in Mudanjiang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mudanjiang, where all-in costs run around $736, than in Shanghai at $1,256. In Mudanjiang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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