Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Qinhuangdao

For one person, living is cheaper in Qinhuangdao: $714 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Qinhuangdao
Learn more

Qinhuangdao Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Qinhuangdao

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Qinhuangdao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Shanghai versus $714 in Qinhuangdao.

Shanghai $1,256
Qinhuangdao $714

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,135 in Qinhuangdao.

Shanghai $1,999
Qinhuangdao $1,135

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Shanghai versus $1,556 in Qinhuangdao.

Shanghai $2,743
Qinhuangdao $1,556

Living in Shanghai is roughly 76% more expensive than in Qinhuangdao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 7% lower, Qinhuangdao 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.64

$2.76 ¥18.36

61.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥202

$21.79 ¥145

39.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥33.86

$4.88 ¥32.50

4.30%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.85

$3.04 ¥20.24

12.83%

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

$0.62 ¥4.14

$0.47 ¥3.12

31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.57

$0.27 ¥1.78

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$0.92 ¥6.15

33.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.74

$2.13 ¥14.18

3.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.31

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥12.97

$1.55 ¥10.33

25.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.64

$0.89 ¥5.92

12.36%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.38

$1.53 ¥10.20

11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥116

$13.05 ¥86.9

33.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.57

$3.11 ¥20.71

4.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.5

$10.33 ¥68.8

25.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.92

$1.87 ¥12.46

19.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.20

$1.25 ¥8.32

34.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥12.97

$1.47 ¥9.77

32.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$1.15 ¥7.63

50.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.08

$0.73 ¥4.87

4.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.12

$0.95 ¥6.33

-3.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.39

$0.60 ¥3.99

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$0.51 ¥3.41

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.54

$3.05 ¥20.32

20.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥72.7

$10.69 ¥71.2

2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.82

$0.79 ¥5.25

10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.82

$1.64 ¥10.89

-0.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.11

$0.27 ¥1.78

129.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥202

$16.97 ¥113

79.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.73

$1.42 ¥9.48

45.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.07

$0.33 ¥2.18

39.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥58.9

$6.62 ¥44.04

33.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.82

$1.14 ¥7.58

16.67%

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

$19.3K ¥128.2K

$19.2K ¥127.8K

0.26%

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

$18.2K ¥121.4K

$17.1K ¥113.8K

6.70%

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

$57.1 ¥380

$44.64 ¥297

27.93%

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

$8.07 ¥53.7

$9.87 ¥65.7

-18.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.2

$11.90 ¥79.2

-10.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥430

$42.14 ¥281

53.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥115

$14.09 ¥93.8

22.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.2

$5.79 ¥38.55

56.30%

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

$1,441 ¥9,595

$337 ¥2,244

327.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.6K

$17.2K ¥114.2K

64.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥356

$44.18 ¥294

21.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥247

$30.35 ¥202

22.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$71.8 ¥478

7.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥691

$70.6 ¥470

47.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,811

$276 ¥1,835

271.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,953

$191 ¥1,272

210.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$601 ¥3,998

326.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,071

$362 ¥2,413

234.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.0K

$3,063 ¥20.4K

341.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.6K

$2,068 ¥13.8K

202.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.89

-13.62%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Qinhuangdao: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Qinhuangdao

$191 26.8% 67.8% $403

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Qinhuangdao

$199 27.9% 16.2% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Qinhuangdao

$98 13.7% 20.1% $24

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Qinhuangdao

$85 11.9% 20.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Qinhuangdao

$54 7.5% 35% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Qinhuangdao

$66 9.3% 12.5% $9.5

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Qinhuangdao

$21 3% 43.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,023 in Shanghai and $276 in Qinhuangdao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30 in Shanghai vs $22 in Qinhuangdao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $199 per month, with Qinhuangdao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Qinhuangdao

🕒 Local time

04:44 4:44 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

2,987,605

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shanghai Qinhuangdao 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Qinhuangdao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Qinhuangdao differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $714 including rent). Qinhuangdao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,884 in Shanghai and $1,071 in Qinhuangdao to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,023 in Shanghai versus $276 in Qinhuangdao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Qinhuangdao – a meal for two runs $22 versus $30 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $714 in Qinhuangdao versus $1,256 in Shanghai, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Qinhuangdao but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Qinhuangdao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Qinhuangdao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Shanghai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Qinhuangdao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.