Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Nago, Okinawa

For one person, living costs are similar in Shanghai and in Nago, Okinawa: $1,256 and $1,231 a month, rent and utilities included.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Nago, Okinawa
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Nago, Okinawa Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Nago, Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,231

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Nago, Okinawa

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

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Shanghai vs $1,231 in Nago, Okinawa, rent included.

Shanghai $1,256
Nago, Okinawa $1,231

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,923 in Nago, Okinawa, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Nago, Okinawa $1,923

A family of three spends $2,743 per month in Shanghai vs $2,614 in Nago, Okinawa, rent included.

Shanghai $2,743
Nago, Okinawa $2,614

Shanghai costs about 2% more than Nago, Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Nago, Okinawa are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 7% lower, Nago, Okinawa 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$6.82 ¥1,077

-34.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$35.35 ¥5,586

-14.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$5.68 ¥898

-10.39%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$3.03 ¥479

13.20%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$1.10 ¥173

-43.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.76 ¥121

-48.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$2.10 ¥332

-41.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$3.05 ¥482

-27.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.52 ¥239

21.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$1.64 ¥259

18.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$4.67 ¥738

-78.59%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$2.28 ¥361

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$10.13 ¥1,601

72.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$6.15 ¥971

-47.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$15.49 ¥2,448

-16.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$5.36 ¥847

-58.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$2.55 ¥402

-34.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$4.13 ¥652

-52.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$4.53 ¥716

-61.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$3.24 ¥511

-76.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$2.56 ¥404

-64.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$1.38 ¥217

-52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$0.88 ¥140

-31.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$4.26 ¥674

-13.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$6.50 ¥1,027

68.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$1.91 ¥302

-54.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$2.37 ¥375

-31.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$1.58 ¥250

-60.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$56.0 ¥8,840

-45.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$3.43 ¥542

-39.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$2.87 ¥454

-83.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$21.07 ¥3,329

-58.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.23 ¥194

8.13%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$23.5K ¥3.7M

-18.06%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$16.9K ¥2.7M

8.24%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$139 ¥21.9K

-58.82%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$27.18 ¥4,294

-70.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$34.51 ¥5,452

-68.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$57.1 ¥9,012

13.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$13.97 ¥2,207

23.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$13.04 ¥2,061

-30.60%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$285 ¥45.0K

406.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$13.5K ¥2.1M

108.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$43.95 ¥6,944

21.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$28.96 ¥4,575

27.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$59.0 ¥9,328

30.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$92.2 ¥14.6K

12.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$461 ¥72.8K

121.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$328 ¥51.9K

80.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$878 ¥138.6K

192.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$659 ¥104.1K

83.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$2,826 ¥446.5K

378.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$1,726 ¥272.6K

262.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

1.81

85.64%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nago, Okinawa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Nago, Okinawa

$328 26.7% 44.7% $266

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Nago, Okinawa

$306 24.9% 29% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Nago, Okinawa

$101 8.2% 17.4% $21

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Nago, Okinawa

$132 10.7% 23.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Nago, Okinawa

$83 6.8% 0.5% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Nago, Okinawa

$200 16.3% 164% $124

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Nago, Okinawa

$80 6.5% 115% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,023 in Shanghai versus $461 in Nago, Okinawa. 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 $35.00 in Nago, Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $306 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Nago, Okinawa

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

05:29 5:29 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

63,554

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Nago, Okinawa 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Shanghai
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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 Nago, Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Shanghai and $1,847 in Nago, Okinawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 84% less in Nago, Okinawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,441 per month in Shanghai and $285 in Nago, Okinawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nago, Okinawa, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Shanghai at $1,256. In Nago, Okinawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nago, Okinawa – 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 Nago, Okinawa. 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.