Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Nishinomiya

For one person, living costs are similar in Shanghai and in Nishinomiya: $1,244 and $1,282 a month, rent and utilities included.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Nishinomiya
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Nishinomiya Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Nishinomiya

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,282

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Nishinomiya

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $1,282 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Nishinomiya $1,282

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $2,060 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Nishinomiya $2,060

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $2,839 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Nishinomiya $2,839

Shanghai is about 3% cheaper than Nishinomiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Nishinomiya are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Nishinomiya 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.43

$8.48 ¥1,339

-46.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$31.23 ¥4,934

-3.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.08

$5.17 ¥817

1.55%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.91

$2.29 ¥362

43.23%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.19 ¥188

-52.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$0.62 ¥98.1

-41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$2.01 ¥318

-38.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.16

$2.36 ¥373

-3.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.28

$1.50 ¥238

22.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.06

$1.49 ¥236

31.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.86

$5.45 ¥860

-81.10%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.15

$2.12 ¥334

-21.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$12.62 ¥1,994

34.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.30

$9.42 ¥1,489

-66.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.1

$31.69 ¥5,006

-59.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$5.12 ¥809

-56.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.12

$1.73 ¥273

-4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.52

$3.06 ¥483

-33.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$6.11 ¥965

-72.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$1.62 ¥256

-52.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$2.56 ¥405

-63.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.18

$1.17 ¥185

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$0.89 ¥141

-32.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.40

$3.40 ¥537

11.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.6

$9.29 ¥1,467

17.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.50

$2.38 ¥377

-65.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.75

$1.45 ¥230

11.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.47 ¥232

-58.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥196

$58.4 ¥9,229

-49.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.09

$3.24 ¥512

-34.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$2.78 ¥440

-84.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.5

$15.48 ¥2,446

-41.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.88

$1.11 ¥176

19.82%

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

$19.0K ¥127.0K

$20.3K ¥3.2M

-6.44%

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

$18.7K ¥124.9K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

23.08%

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

$57.8 ¥386

$118 ¥18.6K

-50.90%

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

$8.09 ¥54.0

$22.94 ¥3,624

-64.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥69.9

$30.96 ¥4,891

-66.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$62.6 ¥9,885

4.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.8

$11.45 ¥1,808

-21.83%

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

$1,414 ¥9,438

$326 ¥51.5K

333.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.0K

$6,020 ¥951.1K

362.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥360

$50.8 ¥8,022

6.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$25.03 ¥3,954

48.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$46.31 ¥7,316

60.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥705

$65.4 ¥10.3K

61.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,046

$608 ¥96.1K

73.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,904

$348 ¥55.1K

67.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$970 ¥153.3K

156.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,228

$802 ¥126.7K

53.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.0K

$4,842 ¥764.9K

187.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.7K

$1,783 ¥281.6K

250.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,988 ¥314.0K

-13.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.02

66.34%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nishinomiya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Nishinomiya

$348 27.2% 40.4% $236

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Nishinomiya

$378 29.5% 60.9% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Nishinomiya

$84 6.6% 30.8% $38

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Nishinomiya

$133 10.4% 25.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Nishinomiya

$85 6.7% 2.2% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Nishinomiya

$172 13.4% 125% $95

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Nishinomiya

$81 6.4% 126% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $608 in Nishinomiya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 16% higher in Nishinomiya, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $31.00 in Nishinomiya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $378 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Nishinomiya

🕒 Local time

22:04 10:04 PM

23:04 11:04 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

488,873

💱 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 = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 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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Shanghai Nishinomiya 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 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 Nishinomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nishinomiya is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,923 in Nishinomiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shanghai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai and $31.00 in Nishinomiya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,244 in Shanghai and $1,282 in Nishinomiya. That's a gap of about 3%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Nishinomiya at $1,282. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nishinomiya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shanghai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Shanghai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nishinomiya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.