Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Nanjing

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanjing: $838 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Nanjing
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Nanjing Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Nanjing

🇨🇳 China

$838

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Nanjing

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Shanghai versus $838 in Nanjing.

Shanghai $1,222
Nanjing $838

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,971 in Shanghai versus $1,317 in Nanjing.

Shanghai $1,971
Nanjing $1,317

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,720 in Shanghai versus $1,797 in Nanjing.

Shanghai $2,720
Nanjing $1,797

Living in Shanghai is roughly 46% more expensive than in Nanjing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Nanjing 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$3.84 ¥25.56

17.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$22.82 ¥152

32.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.03

$4.78 ¥31.78

6.90%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.70

$3.17 ¥21.08

7.57%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.54 ¥3.60

7.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.27 ¥1.82

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$1.54 ¥10.26

-20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$2.27 ¥15.09

1.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.52

$2.09 ¥13.90

-10.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$2.07 ¥13.78

-6.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$0.91 ¥6.06

7.69%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.31

$1.36 ¥9.05

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$10.45 ¥69.5

62.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$2.96 ¥19.71

8.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$8.81 ¥58.6

46.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$2.09 ¥13.92

2.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$1.30 ¥8.62

33.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$1.81 ¥12.03

12.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.06 ¥7.07

63.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.90 ¥5.97

-7.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.95 ¥6.33

-3.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.93 ¥6.19

-27.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.53 ¥3.50

11.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.10

$3.85 ¥25.63

-2.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$13.42 ¥89.3

-17.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$1.00 ¥6.66

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.51 ¥10.05

5.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.31 ¥2.07

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$30.16 ¥201

-1.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$1.70 ¥11.30

25.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.38 ¥2.55

23.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$9.16 ¥60.9

-4.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.36 ¥9.03

-1.47%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$19.6K ¥130.6K

-1.94%

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

$18.3K ¥121.6K

$17.7K ¥117.5K

3.51%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$53.8 ¥358

9.48%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$7.62 ¥50.7

3.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$7.14 ¥47.49

48.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$28.75 ¥191

125.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$34.96 ¥233

-50.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$6.17 ¥41.08

46.84%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$1,461 ¥9,721

8.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$22.8K ¥152.0K

23.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$43.23 ¥288

26.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$34.43 ¥229

8.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$64.2 ¥427

16.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$88.8 ¥591

19.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,825

$490 ¥3,259

109.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,721

$287 ¥1,913

94.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$1,031 ¥6,857

154.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,926

$531 ¥3,533

124.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$4,837 ¥32.2K

176.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$3,107 ¥20.7K

110.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

$1,450 ¥9,645

18.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.42

-1.75%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nanjing: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Nanjing

$287 34.3% 48.6% $272

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Nanjing

$204 24.3% 14% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Nanjing

$104 12.4% 15.4% $19

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Nanjing

$99 11.8% 7.9% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Nanjing

$41 4.9% 50.4% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Nanjing

$69 8.2% 11.4% $8.8

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Nanjing

$35 4.2% 3.7% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,026 in Shanghai and $490 in Nanjing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 18% 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 in Shanghai vs $23 in Nanjing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $204 per month, with Nanjing cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Nanjing

🕒 Local time

22:28 10:28 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

9,314,685

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shanghai vs Nanjing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanjing is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Shanghai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,026 in Shanghai versus $490 in Nanjing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,587 in Shanghai versus $1,461 in Nanjing. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nanjing – a meal for two runs $23 versus $30 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $838 in Nanjing versus $1,222 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nanjing but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Nanjing the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nanjing is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Shanghai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Nanjing wins on affordability, Shanghai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.