Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Narita

For one person, living costs are similar in Shanghai and in Narita: $1,244 and $1,198 a month, rent and utilities included.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Narita
Learn more

Narita Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Narita

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Narita

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,198 in Narita.

Shanghai $1,244
Narita $1,198

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,862 in Narita.

Shanghai $1,999
Narita $1,862

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $2,527 in Narita.

Shanghai $2,755
Narita $2,527

Living in Shanghai is roughly 4% more expensive than in Narita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Narita 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$5.72 ¥904

-20.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$40.53 ¥6,403

-25.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.32 ¥682

21.53%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.08 ¥486

6.49%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.74 ¥117

-22.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.80 ¥126

-55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$2.09 ¥330

-41.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$3.10 ¥489

-26.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.29 ¥203

42.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.74 ¥275

12.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$3.59 ¥567

-71.31%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.01 ¥317

-16.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$10.31 ¥1,628

64.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$5.88 ¥929

-45.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$14.64 ¥2,312

-11.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$5.75 ¥909

-61.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$2.68 ¥423

-38.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$2.88 ¥455

-29.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$4.26 ¥673

-61.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.52 ¥398

-69.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.53 ¥399

-63.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.28 ¥203

-50.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.79 ¥125

-24.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.83 ¥606

-0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$6.12 ¥968

77.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.74 ¥275

-52.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$2.08 ¥328

-22.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.45 ¥229

-57.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$59.9 ¥9,458

-50.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.17 ¥500

-33.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$1.62 ¥257

-73.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$20.39 ¥3,221

-55.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.04 ¥165

27.88%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$21.2K ¥3.4M

-10.35%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$18.6K ¥2.9M

0.78%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$134 ¥21.1K

-56.80%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$24.48 ¥3,867

-66.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$27.93 ¥4,413

-62.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$52.2 ¥8,250

25.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$11.31 ¥1,786

-20.87%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$631 ¥99.7K

124.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$14.9K ¥2.4M

86.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$63.4 ¥10.0K

-14.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$37.27 ¥5,888

-0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$61.1 ¥9,657

21.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$101 ¥15.9K

5.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$541 ¥85.5K

94.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$336 ¥53.1K

73.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$996 ¥157.3K

149.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$633 ¥100.0K

94.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$4,458 ¥704.3K

212.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,527 ¥241.3K

309.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,280 ¥202.2K

33.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.64

27.27%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Narita: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Narita

$336 28.1% 42.5% $249

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Narita

$287 24% 22.2% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Narita

$118 9.9% 3.2% $3.9

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Narita

$118 9.9% 11.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Narita

$75 6.3% 10.5% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Narita

$186 15.6% 144% $110

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Narita

$77 6.4% 113% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $541 in Narita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 34% 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 $41.00 in Narita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $287 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Narita

🕒 Local time

05:48 5:48 AM

06:48 6:48 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

131,613

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 →

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Between locations

Shanghai Narita 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
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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 Narita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Narita is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and leisure. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 34% 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 $541 in Narita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Narita runs roughly 104% less than in Shanghai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,414 in Shanghai versus $631 in Narita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,198 in Narita versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Narita but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Narita 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.

Safety-wise, Shanghai and Narita are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Narita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.