Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Nanyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanyang: $714 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Nanyang
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Nanyang Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Nanyang

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Nanyang

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $714 in Nanyang, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Nanyang $714

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,131 in Nanyang, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Nanyang $1,131

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $1,547 in Nanyang, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Nanyang $1,547

Shanghai costs about 74% more than Nanyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Nanyang are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Nanyang 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$2.81 ¥18.76

62.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$21.42 ¥143

41.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.94 ¥33.06

6.28%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.03 ¥20.27

8.25%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.43 ¥2.88

32.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.27 ¥1.79

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$0.94 ¥6.26

30.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.04 ¥13.67

11.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.84 ¥12.31

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.55 ¥10.38

26.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$0.96 ¥6.42

7.29%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.53 ¥10.22

9.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$12.63 ¥84.4

34.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.10 ¥20.76

2.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$10.39 ¥69.4

24.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$1.86 ¥12.43

20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.20 ¥8.01

38.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.52 ¥10.17

32.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$1.15 ¥7.71

44.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.75 ¥5.00

2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.88 ¥5.91

5.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.56 ¥3.75

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.51 ¥3.42

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.11 ¥20.82

22.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$10.54 ¥70.5

3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.79 ¥5.28

3.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.60 ¥10.70

0.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.27 ¥1.78

125.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$16.87 ¥113

74.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.35 ¥9.04

56.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.33 ¥2.19

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$6.54 ¥43.73

38.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.16 ¥7.79

14.66%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.2K ¥128.3K

-0.83%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$17.3K ¥115.8K

7.99%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$44.91 ¥300

28.72%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$9.66 ¥64.6

-16.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$11.89 ¥79.5

-11.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$42.55 ¥285

54.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$13.68 ¥91.5

30.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$6.00 ¥40.10

49.17%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$328 ¥2,194

330.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$16.9K ¥113.3K

64.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$43.25 ¥289

24.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$30.62 ¥205

21.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$70.7 ¥473

5.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$72.3 ¥484

45.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$278 ¥1,858

279.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$192 ¥1,283

204.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$582 ¥3,891

326.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$359 ¥2,398

243.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$3,009 ¥20.1K

362.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$2,052 ¥13.7K

204.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.89

-13.62%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nanyang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Nanyang

$192 26.9% 67.2% $393

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Nanyang

$197 27.6% 15.9% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Nanyang

$98 13.7% 19.9% $24

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Nanyang

$85 11.9% 19.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Nanyang

$55 7.6% 34.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Nanyang

$66 9.3% 13% $9.9

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Nanyang

$21 2.9% 42% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $278 in Nanyang. 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 $21.00 in Nanyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $197 – making Nanyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Nanyang

🕒 Local time

11:13 11:13 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

2,085,680

💱 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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Shanghai Nanyang 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Nanyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai, $714 in Nanyang – roughly 74% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,071 in Nanyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanyang, 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 $1,244 in Shanghai and $714 in Nanyang. That's a gap of about 74%.

Public transport costs about 74% less in Nanyang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanyang, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Nanyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nanyang – 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 Nanyang. 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.