Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Neu-Ulm Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Neu-Ulm

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,206 in Shanghai versus $1,986 in Neu-Ulm.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,958 in Shanghai versus $2,990 in Neu-Ulm.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,710 in Shanghai versus $3,993 in Neu-Ulm.

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 39% less than in Neu-Ulm, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 10% below, Neu-Ulm is 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.75 ¥32.16

$17.70 €15.34

-73.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 ¥246

$67.2 €58.2

-45.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 ¥36.67

$11.51 €9.97

-52.91%

Cappuccino

$3.54 ¥24.00

$3.83 €3.32

-7.57%

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

$0.54 ¥3.67

$2.93 €2.54

-81.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.26

$2.49 €2.16

-86.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 ¥9.62

$4.59 €3.98

-69.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ¥18.76

$4.93 €4.28

-43.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 ¥14.13

$1.28 €1.11

63.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 ¥12.54

$2.27 €1.97

-18.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.23

$3.40 €2.95

-68.53%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.47

$3.82 €3.31

-55.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.46 ¥105

$15.17 €13.15

1.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.77

$14.99 €12.99

-78.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 ¥73.2

$20.92 €18.13

-48.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 ¥15.37

$3.22 €2.79

-29.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.80

$1.85 €1.60

-5.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ¥11.59

$2.28 €1.98

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ¥10.22

$5.05 €4.38

-70.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.81

$1.54 €1.33

-44.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.80

$1.63 €1.41

-29.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.56

$1.84 €1.60

-63.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.74

$1.16 €1.01

-52.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 ¥18.67

$10.04 €8.70

-72.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.94 ¥80.8

$5.79 €5.02

106.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.35

$1.07 €0.92

-26.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.65

$1.69 €1.46

-7.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$3.43 €2.97

-88.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.46 ¥240

$56.8 €49.21

-37.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 ¥14.77

$3.65 €3.16

-40.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.76

$3.68 €3.19

-88.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 ¥56.7

$27.66 €23.97

-69.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥7.43

$1.93 €1.68

-43.01%

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

$19.4K ¥131.1K

$31.0K €26.9K

-37.62%

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

$18.0K ¥122.1K

$36.4K €31.5K

-50.45%

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

$52.7 ¥357

$272 €235

-80.60%

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

$8.84 ¥59.9

$34.55 €29.95

-74.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.62 ¥92.2

$55.9 €48.49

-75.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.97 ¥318

$39.73 €34.44

18.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.24 ¥137

$26.12 €22.64

-22.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 ¥56.9

$13.86 €12.01

-39.39%

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

$1,274 ¥8,629

$355 €307

259.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ¥209.6K

$13.4K €11.7K

130.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ¥394

$79.1 €68.5

-26.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.30 ¥253

$48.89 €42.37

-23.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 ¥529

$72.8 €63.1

7.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.5 ¥660

$101 €87.3

-3.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 ¥6,370

$851 €738

10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 ¥3,832

$667 €578

-15.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 ¥17.2K

$1,139 €987

122.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 ¥7,987

$1,211 €1,050

-2.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.4K ¥97.4K

$5,695 €4,936

152.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,836 ¥46.3K

$4,690 €4,065

45.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,653 ¥11.2K

$3,735 €3,237

-55.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.97

-9.82%

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

Last update for Shanghai: June 8, 2026

Last update for Neu-Ulm: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $941 in Shanghai and $851 in Neu-Ulm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Neu-Ulm pays 126% 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: $36.00 in Shanghai vs $67.0 in Neu-Ulm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $359 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

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 Neu-Ulm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Neu-Ulm. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shanghai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Neu-Ulm earns 126% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $941 in Shanghai versus $851 in Neu-Ulm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,274 in Shanghai versus $355 in Neu-Ulm. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Neu-Ulm. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,206 in Shanghai versus $1,986 in Neu-Ulm, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Neu-Ulm. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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 Neu-Ulm 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 Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Neu-Ulm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.