Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Quzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Quzhou: $701 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Quzhou
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Quzhou Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Quzhou

🇨🇳 China

$701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Quzhou

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

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Shanghai vs $701 in Quzhou, rent included.

Shanghai $1,256
Quzhou $701

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,153 in Quzhou, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Quzhou $1,153

A family of three spends $2,743 per month in Shanghai vs $1,606 in Quzhou, rent included.

Shanghai $2,743
Quzhou $1,606

Shanghai costs about 79% more than Quzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shanghai and Quzhou are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 7% lower, Quzhou 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.70

$2.77 ¥18.45

60.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥202

$29.42 ¥196

2.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥33.93

$4.52 ¥30.17

12.61%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.90

$3.55 ¥23.67

-3.38%

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

$0.62 ¥4.14

$0.47 ¥3.16

31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.57

$0.29 ¥1.93

34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.03 ¥6.88

19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.77

$3.45 ¥23.04

-35.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.34

$1.74 ¥11.58

6.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥12.99

$1.14 ¥7.60

71.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.65

$0.70 ¥4.66

42.86%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.41

$1.65 ¥10.97

3.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$15.10 ¥101

15.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.61

$3.66 ¥24.44

-11.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.6

$9.06 ¥60.4

43.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.95

$1.02 ¥6.83

119.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$1.55 ¥10.34

8.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.00

$1.49 ¥9.97

30.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.57

$1.17 ¥7.83

47.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.09

$0.63 ¥4.17

20.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$0.75 ¥5.02

22.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.40

$0.70 ¥4.65

-5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.58 ¥3.87

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.59

$4.61 ¥30.77

-19.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥72.9

$8.06 ¥53.7

35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.83

$0.81 ¥5.39

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$1.43 ¥9.57

13.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$0.31 ¥2.08

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$18.24 ¥122

66.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.76

$1.74 ¥11.63

18.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.07

$0.34 ¥2.29

35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.0

$7.04 ¥46.94

25.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.84

$1.31 ¥8.72

1.53%

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

$19.3K ¥128.4K

$19.5K ¥129.9K

-1.16%

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

$18.2K ¥121.7K

$17.8K ¥118.5K

2.67%

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

$57.1 ¥381

$51.8 ¥346

10.21%

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

$8.07 ¥53.8

$6.59 ¥43.99

22.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.3

$7.92 ¥52.8

35.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥431

$40.84 ¥272

58.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥115

$15.02 ¥100

15.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.3

$7.74 ¥51.6

16.93%

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

$1,441 ¥9,614

$415 ¥2,767

247.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.0K

$16.0K ¥106.6K

76.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥357

$62.4 ¥416

-14.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥247

$26.59 ¥177

39.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥513

$61.6 ¥411

24.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥693

$51.7 ¥345

100.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,825

$302 ¥2,012

239.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,961

$179 ¥1,196

231.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$618 ¥4,125

314.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,088

$381 ¥2,542

218.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.2K

$3,522 ¥23.5K

284.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.7K

$1,905 ¥12.7K

227.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.3K

$713 ¥4,759

138.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.18

5.66%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Quzhou: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Quzhou

$179 25.6% 69.8% $415

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Quzhou

$191 27.3% 19.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Quzhou

$91 13% 25.5% $31

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Quzhou

$93 13.3% 12.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Quzhou

$56 8% 31.9% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Quzhou

$66 9.5% 12.6% $9.5

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Quzhou

$23 3.3% 38.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,023 in Shanghai versus $302 in Quzhou. 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 138% higher in Shanghai, 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 $29.00 in Quzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $191 – making Quzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Quzhou

🕒 Local time

23:43 11:43 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

2,122,661

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Shanghai vs Quzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 79%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Shanghai and $1,051 in Quzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 67% less in Quzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,441 per month in Shanghai and $415 in Quzhou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quzhou, where all-in costs run around $701, than in Shanghai at $1,256. In Quzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quzhou – 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 Quzhou. 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.