Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Shaoxing

For one person, living is cheaper in Shaoxing: $751 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Shaoxing
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Shaoxing Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Shaoxing

🇨🇳 China

$751

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Shaoxing

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Shanghai versus $751 in Shaoxing.

Shanghai $1,256
Shaoxing $751

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,204 in Shaoxing.

Shanghai $1,999
Shaoxing $1,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Shanghai versus $1,657 in Shaoxing.

Shanghai $2,743
Shaoxing $1,657

Living in Shanghai is roughly 67% more expensive than in Shaoxing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 7% lower, Shaoxing 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.70

$3.72 ¥24.81

19.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥202

$22.22 ¥148

36.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥33.93

$5.31 ¥35.43

-4.14%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.90

$2.58 ¥17.20

32.95%

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

$0.62 ¥4.14

$0.62 ¥4.15

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.57

$0.36 ¥2.38

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.15 ¥7.66

6.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.77

$2.19 ¥14.64

0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.34

$1.80 ¥11.97

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥12.99

$1.96 ¥13.05

-0.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.65

$0.75 ¥4.99

33.33%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.41

$1.73 ¥11.55

-1.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$11.67 ¥77.8

49.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.61

$3.31 ¥22.05

-2.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.6

$10.59 ¥70.6

22.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.95

$1.78 ¥11.90

25.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$1.72 ¥11.50

-2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.00

$1.72 ¥11.46

13.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.57

$1.09 ¥7.28

58.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.09

$0.83 ¥5.51

-8.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$0.91 ¥6.07

1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.40

$0.65 ¥4.36

1.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.58 ¥3.87

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.59

$3.44 ¥22.92

7.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥72.9

$10.61 ¥70.8

2.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.83

$0.77 ¥5.13

12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$1.62 ¥10.81

0.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$0.23 ¥1.54

169.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$19.86 ¥133

52.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.76

$1.99 ¥13.25

3.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.07

$0.43 ¥2.87

6.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.0

$9.04 ¥60.3

-2.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.84

$1.34 ¥8.93

-0.75%

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

$19.3K ¥128.4K

$19.5K ¥129.8K

-1.06%

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

$18.2K ¥121.7K

$18.0K ¥120.4K

1.11%

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

$57.1 ¥381

$47.33 ¥316

20.66%

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

$8.07 ¥53.8

$7.90 ¥52.7

2.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.3

$9.14 ¥61.0

17.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥431

$15.57 ¥104

315.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥115

$6.79 ¥45.32

154.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.3

$6.82 ¥45.51

32.70%

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

$1,441 ¥9,614

$844 ¥5,630

70.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.0K

$24.9K ¥166.3K

13.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥357

$40.55 ¥270

32.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥247

$31.99 ¥213

15.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥513

$76.9 ¥513

0.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥693

$106 ¥708

-2.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,825

$434 ¥2,898

135.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,961

$222 ¥1,484

166.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$596 ¥3,977

329.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,088

$450 ¥3,000

169.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.2K

$6,407 ¥42.7K

111.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.7K

$3,558 ¥23.7K

75.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.3K

$901 ¥6,009

88.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Shaoxing: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Shaoxing

$222 29.6% 62.5% $371

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Shaoxing

$205 27.2% 13.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Shaoxing

$115 15.3% 5.9% $7.2

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Shaoxing

$91 12.1% 15% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Shaoxing

$29 3.9% 64.7% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Shaoxing

$64 8.6% 15.1% $11

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Shaoxing

$25 3.3% 33% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,023 in Shanghai and $434 in Shaoxing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 89% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $30 in Shanghai vs $22 in Shaoxing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $205 per month, with Shaoxing cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Shaoxing

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

4,912,239

💱 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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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 Shaoxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Shaoxing differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $751 including rent). Shaoxing is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 89% higher in Shanghai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,023 in Shanghai versus $434 in Shaoxing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,441 in Shanghai versus $844 in Shaoxing. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $751 in Shaoxing versus $1,256 in Shanghai, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Shaoxing but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Shaoxing the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.