Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Nanchong

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanchong: $682 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Nanchong
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Nanchong Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Nanchong

🇨🇳 China

$682

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Nanchong

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $682 in Nanchong, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Nanchong $682

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,112 in Nanchong, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Nanchong $1,112

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $1,543 in Nanchong, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Nanchong $1,543

Shanghai costs about 82% more than Nanchong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shanghai and Nanchong are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Nanchong 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$1.75 ¥11.70

160.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$22.63 ¥151

33.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$3.02 ¥20.17

73.84%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.02 ¥13.49

62.38%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.43 ¥2.90

32.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.31 ¥2.09

16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.22 ¥8.14

0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$1.75 ¥11.72

29.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.93 ¥12.90

-4.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.60 ¥10.68

22.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$0.63 ¥4.23

63.49%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.16 ¥14.41

-22.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$18.25 ¥122

-7.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.43 ¥22.95

-7.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$9.97 ¥66.7

29.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$1.53 ¥10.24

46.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.30 ¥8.67

27.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.25 ¥8.33

61.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$1.20 ¥8.04

38.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.67 ¥4.45

14.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.93 ¥6.23

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.84 ¥5.60

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.61 ¥4.09

-1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$2.96 ¥19.82

28.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$8.74 ¥58.4

24.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.81 ¥5.43

1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.69 ¥11.33

-4.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.34 ¥2.25

79.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$18.28 ¥122

60.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.52 ¥10.17

38.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.31 ¥2.10

38.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$3.08 ¥20.58

194.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.31 ¥8.77

1.53%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.5K ¥130.2K

-2.28%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$16.9K ¥112.7K

10.99%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$44.74 ¥299

29.21%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$7.19 ¥48.08

12.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$6.88 ¥46.01

52.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$41.93 ¥280

56.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$14.50 ¥97.0

22.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$6.16 ¥41.16

45.29%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$292 ¥1,955

383.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$25.5K ¥170.8K

9.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$39.45 ¥264

36.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$30.06 ¥201

23.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$64.4 ¥431

15.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$63.9 ¥427

65.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$298 ¥1,991

254.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$183 ¥1,222

219.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$624 ¥4,169

298.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$382 ¥2,557

222.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$3,201 ¥21.4K

335.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,973 ¥13.2K

216.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.34

0.60%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nanchong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Nanchong

$183 26.8% 68.7% $402

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Nanchong

$214 31.4% 8.8% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Nanchong

$89 13.1% 27% $33

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Nanchong

$60 8.8% 43.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Nanchong

$54 8% 35.1% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Nanchong

$59 8.6% 23% $18

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Nanchong

$23 3.3% 37.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $298 in Nanchong. 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 $23.00 in Nanchong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $214 – making Nanchong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Nanchong

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

5,607,565

💱 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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Between locations

Shanghai Nanchong 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 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 Nanchong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai, $682 in Nanchong – roughly 82% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,022 in Nanchong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,414 per month in Shanghai and $292 in Nanchong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Shanghai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanchong, where all-in costs run around $682, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Nanchong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nanchong – 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 Nanchong. 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.