Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Shijiazhuang

For one person, living is cheaper in Shijiazhuang: $682 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Shijiazhuang
Learn more

Shijiazhuang Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Shijiazhuang

🇨🇳 China

$682

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Shijiazhuang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $678 in Shijiazhuang.

Shanghai $1,244
Shijiazhuang $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,015 in Shijiazhuang.

Shanghai $1,999
Shijiazhuang $1,015

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $1,353 in Shijiazhuang.

Shanghai $2,755
Shijiazhuang $1,353

Living in Shanghai is roughly 83% more expensive than in Shijiazhuang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Shijiazhuang 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$1.76 ¥11.80

152.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$18.64 ¥125

62.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$5.68 ¥37.97

-10.39%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$3.27 ¥21.89

4.89%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.48 ¥3.19

29.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.27 ¥1.82

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$0.78 ¥5.23

57.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$1.71 ¥11.42

29.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.26 ¥8.44

46.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$1.16 ¥7.78

68.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$0.68 ¥4.53

47.06%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.29 ¥8.61

32.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$16.50 ¥110

5.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$2.63 ¥17.58

23.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$9.67 ¥64.7

34.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$1.66 ¥11.10

34.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$1.23 ¥8.24

36.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$0.77 ¥5.17

153.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$1.19 ¥7.95

45.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$0.63 ¥4.21

20.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.62 ¥4.16

48.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$0.68 ¥4.56

-2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$0.43 ¥2.88

39.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.80 ¥25.39

-2.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$3.83 ¥25.58

185.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$0.71 ¥4.78

22.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$0.77 ¥5.17

111.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.31 ¥2.08

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$17.67 ¥118

71.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$1.23 ¥8.20

67.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.37 ¥2.50

24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$3.56 ¥23.81

148.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.24 ¥8.30

7.26%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$19.7K ¥131.4K

-2.05%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$17.3K ¥116.0K

5.18%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$95.2 ¥637

-40.03%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$4.40 ¥29.42

83.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$6.60 ¥44.16

62.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$13.69 ¥91.5

372.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$15.08 ¥101

14.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$5.56 ¥37.19

62.77%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$369 ¥2,467

290.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$5,270 ¥35.2K

434.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$50.8 ¥339

5.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$26.12 ¥175

41.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$74.6 ¥499

3.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$52.8 ¥353

96.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$300 ¥2,006

240.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$184 ¥1,231

222.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$419 ¥2,802

511.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$279 ¥1,864

334.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$2,534 ¥16.9K

433.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$1,709 ¥11.4K

265.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

$808 ¥5,400

110.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.31

1.51%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Shijiazhuang: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Shijiazhuang

$184 27% 69% $410

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Shijiazhuang

$172 25.3% 27.5% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Shijiazhuang

$92 13.5% 24.7% $30

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Shijiazhuang

$81 11.8% 24.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Shijiazhuang

$25 3.6% 70% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Shijiazhuang

$106 15.6% 40% $30

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Shijiazhuang

$22 3.2% 40.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $302 in Shijiazhuang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 114% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $19.00 in Shijiazhuang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $171 per month, with Shijiazhuang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Shijiazhuang

🕒 Local time

18:00 6:00 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

11,235,086

💱 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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Between locations

Shanghai Shijiazhuang 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Shanghai
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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 Shijiazhuang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Shijiazhuang differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $678 including rent). Shijiazhuang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 114% 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: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $302 in Shijiazhuang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,414 in Shanghai versus $377 in Shijiazhuang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $678 in Shijiazhuang versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shijiazhuang but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Shijiazhuang 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.

Expats usually find Shijiazhuang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.