Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Qingdao, Shandong Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Qingdao, Shandong

😐 Solo nomad: Shanghai is 14.8% more expensive than Qingdao, Shandong without rent, and 53.9% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Shanghai is 16.2% more expensive than Qingdao, Shandong without rent, and 59.5% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.97 ¥34.00

$3.39 ¥23.17

46.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.17 ¥247

$18.06 ¥124

100.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 ¥37.09

$4.56 ¥31.17

18.86%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ¥24.35

$3.31 ¥22.62

7.55%

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

$0.53 ¥3.65

$0.57 ¥3.93

-7.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.28

$0.29 ¥1.96

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 ¥9.24

$0.86 ¥5.89

56.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ¥18.90

$2.14 ¥14.64

28.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ¥14.56

$1.89 ¥12.90

12.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ¥12.60

$1.53 ¥10.46

20.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.20

$0.93 ¥6.33

12.90%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.46

$1.85 ¥12.68

-9.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.58 ¥107

$15.09 ¥103

3.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥22.16

$4.26 ¥29.17

-23.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.83 ¥74.1

$10.28 ¥70.3

5.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥16.24

$1.38 ¥9.43

71.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.59

$1.19 ¥8.17

42.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.29

$1.91 ¥13.05

-5.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ¥10.10

$1.05 ¥7.21

40.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.84

$0.69 ¥4.72

23.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥8.00

$1.10 ¥7.50

6.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.25

$1.01 ¥6.88

-38.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.16

$0.47 ¥3.25

29.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 ¥19.20

$3.91 ¥26.76

-28.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 ¥81.3

$14.59 ¥99.8

-18.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.39

$1.00 ¥6.84

-21.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.74

$1.54 ¥10.54

1.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.98

$0.28 ¥1.89

57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.93 ¥239

$16.63 ¥114

110.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ¥15.35

$1.35 ¥9.24

65.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.59

$0.34 ¥2.34

11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.23 ¥56.3

$7.50 ¥51.3

9.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥7.88

$1.12 ¥7.63

2.68%

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

$19.9K ¥136.0K

$20.4K ¥139.3K

-2.35%

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

$17.8K ¥122.0K

$13.4K ¥91.4K

33.48%

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

$52.2 ¥357

$51.1 ¥350

2.13%

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

$8.70 ¥59.5

$10.83 ¥74.1

-19.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.58 ¥92.9

$10.38 ¥71.0

30.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.31 ¥317

$25.94 ¥177

78.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.45 ¥140

$21.15 ¥145

-3.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ¥56.5

$6.75 ¥46.20

22.37%

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

$1,266 ¥8,662

$338 ¥2,309

275.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K ¥218.5K

$24.4K ¥166.9K

30.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ¥409

$75.6 ¥517

-20.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 ¥261

$38.73 ¥265

-1.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 ¥528

$80.8 ¥553

-4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 ¥658

$101 ¥693

-5.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 ¥6,488

$335 ¥2,288

183.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 ¥3,914

$195 ¥1,334

193.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,473 ¥16.9K

$735 ¥5,026

236.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 ¥8,251

$410 ¥2,803

194.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.1K ¥96.4K

$3,625 ¥24.8K

288.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,213 ¥49.3K

$2,161 ¥14.8K

233.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,682 ¥11.5K

$1,058 ¥7,239

58.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.81

-6.04%

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

Last update for Shanghai: April 12, 2026

Last update for Qingdao, Shandong: April 12, 2026

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 other spots: cost of living compared

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