Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Rui'an

For one person, living is cheaper in Rui'an: $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 Rui'an
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Rui'an Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Rui'an

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Rui'an

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

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

Shanghai $1,256
Rui'an $714

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,133 in Rui'an.

Shanghai $1,999
Rui'an $1,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Shanghai versus $1,552 in Rui'an.

Shanghai $2,743
Rui'an $1,552

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 7% lower, Rui'an 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$2.83 ¥18.91

57.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$21.42 ¥143

41.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$4.92 ¥32.91

3.46%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$3.11 ¥20.77

10.29%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.43 ¥2.89

44.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.29 ¥1.96

34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$0.92 ¥6.17

33.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$2.06 ¥13.79

7.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.85 ¥12.39

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$1.61 ¥10.73

21.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$0.95 ¥6.34

5.26%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.55 ¥10.38

10.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$12.91 ¥86.3

35.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$3.24 ¥21.64

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$10.13 ¥67.7

28.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$1.79 ¥11.95

25.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$1.20 ¥8.03

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.54 ¥10.32

26.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$1.14 ¥7.64

51.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$0.69 ¥4.61

10.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.92 ¥6.14

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$0.60 ¥4.00

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$0.55 ¥3.70

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.22 ¥21.50

14.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$10.43 ¥69.7

4.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$0.74 ¥4.93

17.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$1.65 ¥11.04

-1.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.27 ¥1.80

129.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$16.57 ¥111

83.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$1.38 ¥9.21

49.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.32 ¥2.17

43.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$6.72 ¥44.95

31.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.13 ¥7.53

17.70%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$19.4K ¥130.0K

-0.95%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$17.4K ¥116.1K

5.03%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$44.23 ¥296

29.12%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$10.04 ¥67.1

-19.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$11.61 ¥77.6

-7.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$41.34 ¥276

56.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$13.91 ¥93.0

24.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$5.77 ¥38.60

56.85%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$341 ¥2,279

322.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$16.5K ¥110.6K

70.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$43.27 ¥289

23.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$30.29 ¥203

22.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$71.0 ¥475

8.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$72.3 ¥484

43.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$275 ¥1,839

272.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$192 ¥1,285

208.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$600 ¥4,010

327.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$362 ¥2,418

235.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$3,056 ¥20.4K

342.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$2,008 ¥13.4K

211.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

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 Rui'an: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Rui'an

$192 26.9% 67.6% $402

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Rui'an

$199 27.8% 16.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Rui'an

$98 13.7% 20.1% $25

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Rui'an

$86 12.1% 19.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Rui'an

$53 7.4% 36.1% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Rui'an

$66 9.2% 13.2% $10

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Rui'an

$21 2.9% 44.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,023 in Shanghai and $275 in Rui'an. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $21.00 in Rui'an for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $199 per month, with Rui'an cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Rui'an

🕒 Local time

19:37 7:37 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

213,600

💱 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 Rui'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rui'an wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Shanghai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rui'an the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Shanghai and $1,071 in Rui'an 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 $275 in Rui'an. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rui'an – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Shanghai versus $714 in Rui'an – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $714 in Rui'an versus $1,256 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rui'an but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Rui'an 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 Rui'an 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 Rui'an gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.