Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Pyeongtaek

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,446 in Pyeongtaek, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. The total is higher in Pyeongtaek despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Pyeongtaek
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Pyeongtaek Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Pyeongtaek

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,446

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Pyeongtaek

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,446 in Pyeongtaek.

Shanghai $1,244
Pyeongtaek $1,446

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $2,845 in Pyeongtaek.

Shanghai $1,999
Pyeongtaek $2,845

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $4,244 in Pyeongtaek.

Shanghai $2,755
Pyeongtaek $4,244

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 14% less than in Pyeongtaek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 8% below, Pyeongtaek is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$7.31 ₩9,726

-37.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$22.36 ₩29.7K

35.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.85 ₩6,443

8.25%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.74 ₩4,977

-12.30%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.24 ₩1,648

-54.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.91 ₩1,212

-60.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$3.74 ₩4,967

-67.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$4.40 ₩5,844

-48.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$2.27 ₩3,024

-18.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$3.21 ₩4,263

-38.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$3.13 ₩4,161

-67.09%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.71 ₩3,605

-38.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$10.91 ₩14.5K

55.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$10.58 ₩14.1K

-69.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$24.50 ₩32.6K

-47.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$11.37 ₩15.1K

-80.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$3.76 ₩4,996

-55.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$8.16 ₩10.8K

-75.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$5.92 ₩7,865

-71.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$6.13 ₩8,151

-87.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$3.42 ₩4,550

-72.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$2.87 ₩3,817

-78.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$1.33 ₩1,765

-54.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.43 ₩4,567

10.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$18.71 ₩24.9K

-41.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$2.44 ₩3,240

-66.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$3.39 ₩4,502

-52.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.26 ₩1,681

-51.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$46.79 ₩62.2K

-37.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.57 ₩4,746

-40.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.55 ₩727

-21.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$8.85 ₩11.8K

2.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.43 ₩1,899

-6.99%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$15.1K ₩20.0M

26.39%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$15.0K ₩19.9M

25.10%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$201 ₩266.7K

-71.18%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$16.98 ₩22.6K

-52.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$27.05 ₩36.0K

-61.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$11.83 ₩15.7K

-24.34%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$646 ₩858.4K

118.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$21.5K ₩28.6M

29.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$103 ₩137.2K

-47.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$65.1 ₩86.6K

-43.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$92.0 ₩122.3K

-19.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$126 ₩167.2K

-16.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$516 ₩685.7K

104.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$304 ₩403.5K

92.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,889 ₩2.5M

31.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$1,871 ₩2.5M

-34.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,879 ₩2.5M

-8.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

4.22

-20.38%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pyeongtaek: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Pyeongtaek

$304 21% 48.1% $281

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Pyeongtaek

$488 33.8% 108% $253

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Pyeongtaek

$174 12% 42.5% $52

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Pyeongtaek

$154 10.7% 45.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Pyeongtaek

$24 * 1.6% 71.7% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Pyeongtaek

$245 16.9% 220% $168

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Pyeongtaek

$58 4% 61% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $516 in Pyeongtaek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pyeongtaek pays 10% 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 $22.00 in Pyeongtaek. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $488, with Shanghai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇷 Pyeongtaek

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

489,081

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Shanghai Pyeongtaek 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Pyeongtaek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Pyeongtaek differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $1,446 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Pyeongtaek. 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: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $516 in Pyeongtaek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shanghai runs roughly 59% less than in Pyeongtaek. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,414 in Shanghai versus $646 in Pyeongtaek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,446 in Pyeongtaek, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Pyeongtaek. 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 Pyeongtaek 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 16% less than in Pyeongtaek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.