Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Naha

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,256 a month against $1,343 in Naha, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Naha
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Naha Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Naha

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,343

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Naha

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

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Shanghai vs $1,343 in Naha, rent included.

Shanghai $1,256
Naha $1,343

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $2,092 in Naha, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Naha $2,092

A family of three spends $2,743 per month in Shanghai vs $2,840 in Naha, rent included.

Shanghai $2,743
Naha $2,840

Shanghai is about 7% cheaper than Naha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Naha are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 7% lower, Naha 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$5.12 ¥808

-13.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$30.17 ¥4,767

0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$5.20 ¥821

-2.12%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$3.12 ¥493

9.94%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$1.29 ¥203

-51.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.87 ¥137

-55.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$2.56 ¥405

-51.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$3.92 ¥619

-43.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.56 ¥247

18.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$2.07 ¥327

-5.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$3.87 ¥612

-74.16%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.74 ¥276

-1.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$17.91 ¥2,829

-2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$4.80 ¥758

-32.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$22.38 ¥3,536

-41.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$3.67 ¥580

-38.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$2.69 ¥425

-37.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$2.22 ¥351

-12.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$5.15 ¥814

-66.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$2.39 ¥377

-68.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$2.47 ¥390

-62.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$1.24 ¥196

-46.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$0.79 ¥124

-24.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.88 ¥613

-4.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$6.28 ¥992

73.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$1.92 ¥304

-54.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$3.23 ¥510

-49.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$3.96 ¥626

-47.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$3.40 ¥537

-86.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$11.52 ¥1,820

-23.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.06 ¥168

25.47%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$21.0K ¥3.3M

-8.11%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$15.5K ¥2.4M

18.01%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$96.0 ¥15.2K

-40.52%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$24.81 ¥3,919

-67.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$52.6 ¥8,305

-79.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$12.17 ¥1,922

-25.64%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$329 ¥52.0K

337.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$5,565 ¥879.2K

406.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$49.25 ¥7,782

8.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$22.99 ¥3,632

61.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$78.8 ¥12.4K

-2.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$96.3 ¥15.2K

7.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$717 ¥113.3K

42.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$562 ¥88.8K

5.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$1,158 ¥183.0K

121.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$1,138 ¥179.8K

6.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

$1,337 ¥211.2K

27.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.23

50.67%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Naha: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Naha

$562 41.9% 5.3% $32

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Naha

$328 24.4% 38.1% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Naha

$111 8.3% 8.9% $11

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Naha

$123 9.2% 15.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Naha

$24 * 1.8% 70.6% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Naha

$173 12.9% 129% $98

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Naha

$21 * 1.6% 43.6% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,023 in Shanghai versus $717 in Naha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 27% higher in Shanghai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $30.00 in Naha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $328 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Naha

🕒 Local time

01:00 1:00 AM

02:00 2:00 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

317,625

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Naha 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Naha

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 Naha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Naha costs about 7% more than Shanghai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $2,015 in Naha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shanghai, 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 $1,343 in Naha. That's a gap of about 7%.

Kindergarten costs $1,441 per month in Shanghai and $329 in Naha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Naha at $1,343. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Naha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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