Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Nantong

For one person, living is cheaper in Nantong: $750 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Nantong
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Nantong Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Nantong

🇨🇳 China

$750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Nantong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $750 in Nantong.

Shanghai $1,244
Nantong $750

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,237 in Nantong.

Shanghai $1,999
Nantong $1,237

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $1,725 in Nantong.

Shanghai $2,755
Nantong $1,725

Living in Shanghai is roughly 66% more expensive than in Nantong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Nantong 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$3.01 ¥20.15

51.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$23.57 ¥158

28.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.43 ¥29.64

18.51%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.79 ¥18.69

17.56%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.63 ¥4.23

-9.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.33 ¥2.23

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$0.72 ¥4.84

70.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.18 ¥14.56

4.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.61 ¥10.76

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.52 ¥10.19

28.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$0.79 ¥5.26

30.38%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.73 ¥11.55

-3.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$6.67 ¥44.59

154.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.69 ¥24.66

-13.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$10.37 ¥69.3

24.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$2.30 ¥15.37

-2.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.40 ¥9.34

18.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.52 ¥10.14

32.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$1.46 ¥9.78

13.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.67 ¥4.51

14.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.90 ¥6.04

3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.67 ¥4.46

-5.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.50 ¥3.37

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.44 ¥23.00

10.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$9.14 ¥61.1

18.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.74 ¥4.97

10.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.65 ¥11.06

-2.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.21 ¥1.40

190.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$14.73 ¥98.5

99.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.93 ¥12.89

9.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.38 ¥2.55

13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$7.00 ¥46.78

29.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.21 ¥8.07

9.92%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.6K ¥131.1K

-2.99%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$18.8K ¥125.8K

-0.58%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$47.85 ¥320

20.82%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$7.48 ¥50.0

8.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$14.96 ¥100

-29.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$114 ¥763

-42.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$11.96 ¥80.0

49.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$7.68 ¥51.3

16.54%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$203 ¥1,356

597.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$12.0K ¥80.1K

132.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$58.0 ¥388

-6.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$42.62 ¥285

-12.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$66.3 ¥443

12.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$110 ¥736

-4.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$213 ¥1,422

396.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$142 ¥946

313.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$696 ¥4,656

256.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$354 ¥2,367

248.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$3,720 ¥24.9K

274.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$2,249 ¥15.0K

178.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,289 ¥8,622

32.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.5

-4.00%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nantong: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Nantong

$142 18.9% 75.8% $443

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Nantong

$182 24.3% 22.5% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Nantong

$125 16.6% 2.2% $2.7

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Nantong

$83 11% 21.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Nantong

$130 17.3% 54.9% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Nantong

$70 9.4% 8% $6.1

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Nantong

$19 2.6% 46.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $213 in Nantong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 33% 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 $24.00 in Nantong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $182 per month, with Nantong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Nantong

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

7,726,635

💱 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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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 Nantong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Nantong differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $750 including rent). Nantong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $213 in Nantong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,414 in Shanghai versus $203 in Nantong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $750 in Nantong versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nantong but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Nantong 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.

Expats usually find Nantong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.