Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Pingdingshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Pingdingshan: $721 a month against $1,256 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
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Pingdingshan
Learn more

Pingdingshan Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Pingdingshan

🇨🇳 China

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Pingdingshan

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

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Shanghai vs $721 in Pingdingshan, rent included.

Shanghai $1,256
Pingdingshan $721

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,119 in Pingdingshan, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Pingdingshan $1,119

A family of three spends $2,743 per month in Shanghai vs $1,516 in Pingdingshan, rent included.

Shanghai $2,743
Pingdingshan $1,516

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

Both Shanghai and Pingdingshan are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 7% lower, Pingdingshan 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$2.18 ¥14.54

104.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$12.03 ¥80.4

151.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$4.52 ¥30.24

12.61%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$2.18 ¥14.56

57.34%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.35 ¥2.36

77.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.17 ¥1.14

129.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$0.76 ¥5.11

61.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$1.52 ¥10.18

45.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.51 ¥10.07

22.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$1.67 ¥11.17

16.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$0.83 ¥5.57

20.48%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$0.98 ¥6.55

74.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$8.08 ¥54.0

116.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$3.20 ¥21.38

1.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$10.50 ¥70.2

23.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$1.44 ¥9.66

55.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$0.98 ¥6.56

71.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.09 ¥7.29

78.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$1.18 ¥7.92

46.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$0.62 ¥4.15

22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.68 ¥4.56

35.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$0.68 ¥4.53

-2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$0.72 ¥4.84

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.28 ¥21.91

12.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$15.03 ¥101

-27.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$0.99 ¥6.60

-12.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$2.00 ¥13.39

-18.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.31 ¥2.10

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$17.76 ¥119

71.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$0.77 ¥5.17

167.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.31 ¥2.09

48.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$3.54 ¥23.64

149.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.05 ¥7.05

26.67%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$12.0K ¥80.5K

60.00%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$17.2K ¥115.2K

5.91%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$70.0 ¥468

-18.45%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$6.92 ¥46.26

16.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$10.24 ¥68.5

4.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$42.43 ¥284

52.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$16.31 ¥109

6.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$6.05 ¥40.42

49.59%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$383 ¥2,563

276.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$31.0K ¥207.3K

-9.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$43.61 ¥292

22.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$33.36 ¥223

11.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$74.6 ¥499

3.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$71.7 ¥480

44.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$277 ¥1,851

269.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$204 ¥1,364

191.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$610 ¥4,081

319.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$421 ¥2,817

187.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$2,852 ¥19.1K

374.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$1,860 ¥12.4K

235.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.29

2.13%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Pingdingshan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Pingdingshan

$204 28.3% 65.6% $390

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Pingdingshan

$188 26% 21% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Pingdingshan

$100 13.9% 17.7% $22

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Pingdingshan

$66 9.2% 38.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Pingdingshan

$55 7.6% 34.1% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Pingdingshan

$87 12.1% 14.9% $11

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Pingdingshan

$21 3% 42.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,023 in Shanghai versus $277 in Pingdingshan. 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 $12.00 in Pingdingshan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $188 – making Pingdingshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Pingdingshan

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

5,000,000

💱 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 Pingdingshan 820 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 Pingdingshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,256 in Shanghai, $721 in Pingdingshan – roughly 74% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Shanghai and $1,082 in Pingdingshan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,441 per month in Shanghai and $383 in Pingdingshan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Shanghai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pingdingshan, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Shanghai at $1,256. In Pingdingshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pingdingshan – 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 Pingdingshan. 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.