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Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Sanya Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Sanya

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Shanghai is 31.7% more expensive than Sanya without rent, and 57.9% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Shanghai is 33.8% more expensive than Sanya without rent, and 72.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Shanghai
Sanya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.77 ยฅ33.30
$2.40 ยฅ16.73
98.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.92 ยฅ251
$21.23 ยฅ148
69.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.45 ยฅ38.01
$5.62 ยฅ39.25
-3.02%
Cappuccino
$3.42 ยฅ23.89
$2.59 ยฅ18.05
32.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 ยฅ4.07
$0.44 ยฅ3.07
31.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ยฅ2.35
$0.27 ยฅ1.88
25.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.42 ยฅ9.91
$1.95 ยฅ13.64
-27.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 ยฅ19.56
$1.92 ยฅ13.37
45.83%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Shanghai
Sanya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.09 ยฅ14.59
$1.84 ยฅ12.87
13.59%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 ยฅ12.92
$1.31 ยฅ9.18
41.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.10 ยฅ7.66
$1.48 ยฅ10.35
-25.68%
Eggs
$1.60 ยฅ11.20
$1.64 ยฅ11.42
-2.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.28 ยฅ107
$17.38 ยฅ121
-12.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.08 ยฅ21.53
$3.86 ยฅ26.94
-20.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.85 ยฅ75.8
$10.07 ยฅ70.3
7.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.33 ยฅ16.30
$2.19 ยฅ15.30
6.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 ยฅ12.35
$1.45 ยฅ10.12
22.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 ยฅ12.42
$1.89 ยฅ13.22
-5.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 ยฅ10.28
$1.65 ยฅ11.49
-10.91%
Potato (1kg)
$0.81 ยฅ5.64
$0.79 ยฅ5.54
2.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 ยฅ8.10
$0.79 ยฅ5.55
46.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ยฅ4.37
$0.47 ยฅ3.30
34.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ยฅ4.17
$0.58 ยฅ4.07
3.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.77 ยฅ19.35
$3.15 ยฅ21.99
-12.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.49 ยฅ80.2
$7.16 ยฅ49.94
60.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 ยฅ5.86
$1.07 ยฅ7.46
-21.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 ยฅ11.27
$1.00 ยฅ6.98
61.00%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Shanghai
Sanya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ยฅ2.79
$0.29 ยฅ2.03
37.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.13 ยฅ238
$16.15 ยฅ113
111.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.29 ยฅ15.98
$1.54 ยฅ10.76
48.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 ยฅ2.63
$0.57 ยฅ3.98
-33.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.32 ยฅ58.1
$6.70 ยฅ46.78
24.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 ยฅ8.00
$1.24 ยฅ8.63
-7.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K ยฅ137.2K
$19.0K ยฅ132.9K
3.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.3K ยฅ127.5K
$16.9K ยฅ118.2K
7.83%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shanghai
Sanya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$52.1 ยฅ363
$82.0 ยฅ572
-36.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.79 ยฅ61.3
$9.71 ยฅ67.8
-9.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.87 ยฅ96.8
$11.65 ยฅ81.3
19.06%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Shanghai
Sanya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.42 ยฅ324
$41.94 ยฅ293
10.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.78 ยฅ138
$13.72 ยฅ95.7
44.17%
Cinema Ticket
$8.28 ยฅ57.8
$6.42 ยฅ44.81
28.97%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Shanghai
Sanya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,297 ยฅ9,056
$340 ยฅ2,376
281.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.9K ยฅ215.7K
$17.2K ยฅ120.1K
79.63%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Shanghai
Sanya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 ยฅ417
$42.92 ยฅ300
39.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.03 ยฅ265
$30.06 ยฅ210
26.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.5 ยฅ541
$49.22 ยฅ344
57.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.3 ยฅ693
$72.9 ยฅ509
36.28%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Shanghai
Sanya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$944 ยฅ6,591
$283 ยฅ1,973
234.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$570 ยฅ3,981
$185 ยฅ1,290
208.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,460 ยฅ17.2K
$580 ยฅ4,052
323.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,204 ยฅ8,401
$357 ยฅ2,492
237.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$14.2K ยฅ99.5K
$3,321 ยฅ23.2K
329.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,080 ยฅ49.4K
$2,021 ยฅ14.1K
250.30%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Shanghai
Sanya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,632 ยฅ11.4K
$687 ยฅ4,793
137.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.58
5.05
-29.11%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Shanghai: January 10, 2026

Last update for Sanya: January 11, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
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