Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Pangyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $1,460 in Pangyo, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. The total is higher in Pangyo despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Pangyo
Learn more

Pangyo Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Pangyo

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,460

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Pangyo

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

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Shanghai vs $1,460 in Pangyo, rent included.

Shanghai $1,250
Pangyo $1,460

A couple spends around $2,019 per month in Shanghai vs $2,303 in Pangyo, rent included.

Shanghai $2,019
Pangyo $2,303

A family of three spends $2,789 per month in Shanghai vs $3,145 in Pangyo, rent included.

Shanghai $2,789
Pangyo $3,145

Shanghai is about 14% cheaper than Pangyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shanghai sits 7% below the global median, while Pangyo is 9% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.45

$7.17 ₩9,634

-36.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥198

$30.05 ₩40.4K

-1.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.13

$6.54 ₩8,788

-22.02%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.92

$4.03 ₩5,407

-15.14%

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

$0.61 ¥4.12

$1.51 ₩2,028

-59.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$0.71 ₩956

-49.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.08

$2.96 ₩3,982

-59.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.33

$3.98 ₩5,348

-42.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.48

$2.30 ₩3,091

-19.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.47

$3.19 ₩4,284

-36.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.84

$2.74 ₩3,682

-62.77%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.48

$2.69 ₩3,615

-36.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

$10.88 ₩14.6K

58.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.43

$7.91 ₩10.6K

-57.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.7

$21.43 ₩28.8K

-40.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.54

$7.68 ₩10.3K

-71.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.67

$3.62 ₩4,858

-51.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.99

$7.50 ₩10.1K

-74.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$6.11 ₩8,201

-72.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.18

$3.62 ₩4,859

-78.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$2.68 ₩3,596

-65.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$2.78 ₩3,740

-77.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$1.28 ₩1,719

-54.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.64

$3.45 ₩4,635

11.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.2

$18.84 ₩25.3K

-41.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.60

$2.29 ₩3,078

-63.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.73

$3.46 ₩4,649

-53.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$1.10 ₩1,479

-46.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥203

$47.53 ₩63.8K

-36.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$3.36 ₩4,515

-38.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.66 ₩884

-28.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.9

$13.05 ₩17.5K

-32.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.53

$1.41 ₩1,891

-9.93%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$30.8K ₩41.3M

-36.28%

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

$18.6K ¥124.4K

$38.4K ₩51.6M

-51.61%

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

$57.2 ¥383

$199 ₩267.4K

-71.26%

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

$8.06 ¥53.9

$36.74 ₩49.3K

-78.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.4

$22.15 ₩29.8K

-52.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥433

$51.2 ₩68.7K

26.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

$11.91 ₩16.0K

48.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

$11.13 ₩14.9K

-20.58%

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

$1,437 ¥9,620

$526 ₩706.1K

173.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.9K

$21.7K ₩29.1M

29.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥366

$65.7 ₩88.2K

-16.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥244

$64.1 ₩86.1K

-43.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$74.5 ₩100.1K

1.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥696

$101 ₩135.6K

3.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,956

$478 ₩642.6K

117.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,940

$361 ₩484.9K

63.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

$1,182 ₩1.6M

110.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,282

$735 ₩987.8K

68.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.9K

$7,053 ₩9.5M

92.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

$5,546 ₩7.4M

11.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$5,262 ₩7.1M

-67.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

4.1

-18.05%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Last update for Pangyo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Pangyo

$361 24.4% 38.7% $228

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Pangyo

$433 29.3% 82.6% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Pangyo

$137 9.3% 12.9% $16

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Pangyo

$157 10.6% 46.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Pangyo

$73 5% 10.8% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Pangyo

$258 17.5% 240% $182

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Pangyo

$59 4% 58.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,039 in Shanghai versus $478 in Pangyo. 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 207% higher in Pangyo, 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 $30.00 in Pangyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $433 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇷 Pangyo

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

12:41 12:41 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Pangyo 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Pangyo

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 Pangyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pangyo is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,874 per month in Shanghai and $2,191 in Pangyo. 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.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Shanghai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,437 per month in Shanghai and $526 in Pangyo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Pangyo at $1,460. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pangyo 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, Pangyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.