Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Nagoya

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,369 in Nagoya, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Nagoya despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Nagoya
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Nagoya Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Nagoya

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,369

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Nagoya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,369 in Nagoya.

Shanghai $1,244
Nagoya $1,369

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $2,170 in Nagoya.

Shanghai $1,999
Nagoya $2,170

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $2,972 in Nagoya.

Shanghai $2,755
Nagoya $2,972

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 9% less than in Nagoya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 8% below, Nagoya is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.43

$8.57 ¥1,355

-46.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$31.14 ¥4,919

-2.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.08

$5.11 ¥808

2.74%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.91

$2.39 ¥377

37.24%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.24 ¥195

-54.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$0.85 ¥135

-57.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$3.09 ¥489

-60.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.16

$3.20 ¥505

-29.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.28

$1.51 ¥239

21.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.06

$1.52 ¥241

28.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.86

$4.03 ¥637

-74.44%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.15

$2.15 ¥339

-22.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$15.68 ¥2,477

8.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.30

$7.14 ¥1,129

-55.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.1

$16.92 ¥2,674

-23.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$8.42 ¥1,330

-73.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.12

$2.90 ¥459

-42.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.52

$4.86 ¥768

-58.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$7.84 ¥1,238

-78.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$4.08 ¥645

-81.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$4.75 ¥750

-80.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.18

$1.14 ¥180

-44.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$0.94 ¥148

-36.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.40

$3.86 ¥610

-1.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.6

$9.47 ¥1,496

14.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.50

$2.49 ¥393

-67.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.75

$2.18 ¥345

-26.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.49 ¥235

-59.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥196

$118 ¥18.6K

-75.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.09

$3.20 ¥505

-34.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$2.85 ¥451

-84.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.5

$15.80 ¥2,495

-42.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.88

$1.10 ¥173

20.91%

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

$19.0K ¥127.0K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

-12.06%

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

$18.7K ¥124.9K

$14.9K ¥2.4M

25.67%

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

$57.8 ¥386

$115 ¥18.2K

-49.75%

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

$8.09 ¥54.0

$23.65 ¥3,736

-65.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥69.9

$31.18 ¥4,926

-66.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$50.5 ¥7,971

30.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$13.41 ¥2,119

32.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.8

$11.29 ¥1,784

-20.73%

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

$1,414 ¥9,438

$572 ¥90.3K

147.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.0K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

88.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥360

$49.53 ¥7,826

9.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$35.86 ¥5,666

3.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$59.7 ¥9,427

24.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥705

$99.5 ¥15.7K

6.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,046

$537 ¥84.9K

96.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,904

$352 ¥55.6K

66.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,199 ¥189.5K

107.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,228

$749 ¥118.3K

64.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.0K

$2,031 ¥320.8K

585.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.7K

$1,030 ¥162.7K

507.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,882 ¥297.4K

-9.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.02

66.34%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nagoya: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Nagoya

$352 25.7% 39.9% $233

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Nagoya

$380 27.8% 61.9% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Nagoya

$110 8% 9.7% $12

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Nagoya

$143 10.4% 34.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Nagoya

$73 5.3% 12.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Nagoya

$170 12.4% 122% $94

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Nagoya

$141 10.3% 291% $105

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $537 in Nagoya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nagoya pays 10% 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 $31.00 in Nagoya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $380 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Nagoya

🕒 Local time

15:24 3:24 PM

16:24 4:24 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

2,236,000

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 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 Nagoya 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Nagoya

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 Nagoya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Nagoya. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $537 in Nagoya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shanghai runs roughly 301% less than in Nagoya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,414 in Shanghai versus $572 in Nagoya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,369 in Nagoya, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Nagoya. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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 Nagoya 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 Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Nagoya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.