Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Shizuoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Shizuoka: $1,138 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shanghai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Shizuoka
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Shizuoka Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Shizuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Shizuoka

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,138 in Shizuoka.

Shanghai $1,244
Shizuoka $1,138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,789 in Shizuoka.

Shanghai $1,999
Shizuoka $1,789

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $2,441 in Shizuoka.

Shanghai $2,755
Shizuoka $2,441

Living in Shanghai is roughly 9% more expensive than in Shizuoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Shizuoka 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.43

$6.42 ¥1,015

-28.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$31.81 ¥5,026

-5.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.08

$5.08 ¥802

3.35%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.91

$2.96 ¥468

10.81%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.97 ¥152

-41.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$0.76 ¥119

-52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$2.75 ¥435

-55.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.16

$3.83 ¥605

-40.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.28

$1.51 ¥239

21.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.06

$1.25 ¥198

56.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.86

$4.49 ¥709

-77.06%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.15

$1.83 ¥289

-8.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$7.11 ¥1,123

138.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.30

$5.40 ¥853

-40.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.1

$14.11 ¥2,229

-8.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$3.29 ¥519

-31.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.12

$1.93 ¥305

-13.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.52

$3.42 ¥541

-40.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$3.13 ¥495

-46.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$1.51 ¥239

-49.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$1.13 ¥179

-17.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.18

$1.11 ¥176

-43.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$0.86 ¥135

-30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.40

$3.86 ¥610

-1.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.6

$8.70 ¥1,375

24.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.50

$1.48 ¥233

-44.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.75

$3.24 ¥512

-50.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.79 ¥283

-65.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥196

$53.9 ¥8,514

-45.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.09

$3.46 ¥546

-39.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$1.86 ¥293

-76.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.5

$19.01 ¥3,003

-52.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.88

$1.04 ¥165

27.88%

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

$19.0K ¥127.0K

$21.7K ¥3.4M

-12.28%

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

$18.7K ¥124.9K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

22.46%

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

$57.8 ¥386

$138 ¥21.8K

-58.12%

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

$8.09 ¥54.0

$15.18 ¥2,398

-46.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥69.9

$30.16 ¥4,764

-65.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$52.6 ¥8,316

24.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$10.82 ¥1,709

64.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.8

$12.21 ¥1,928

-26.70%

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

$1,414 ¥9,438

$320 ¥50.5K

342.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.0K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

109.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥360

$18.49 ¥2,921

192.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$21.38 ¥3,378

73.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$61.6 ¥9,725

20.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥705

$90.5 ¥14.3K

16.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,046

$331 ¥52.3K

218.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,904

$333 ¥52.6K

75.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,084 ¥171.2K

129.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,228

$731 ¥115.5K

68.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.0K

$4,146 ¥655.0K

235.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.7K

$1,741 ¥275.0K

259.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$2,232 ¥352.7K

-23.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

236.00%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shizuoka: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Shizuoka

$333 29.3% 43.1% $252

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Shizuoka

$254 22.3% 8.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Shizuoka

$86 7.6% 29.1% $36

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Shizuoka

$131 11.5% 23.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Shizuoka

$77 6.8% 7.8% $6.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Shizuoka

$183 16.1% 140% $107

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Shizuoka

$74 6.5% 104% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $331 in Shizuoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shizuoka pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $32.00 in Shizuoka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $254 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Shizuoka

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

17:06 5:06 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

701,803

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Shanghai Shizuoka 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Shizuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Shizuoka differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $1,138 including rent). Shizuoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Shizuoka. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $331 in Shizuoka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,414 in Shanghai versus $320 in Shizuoka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Shanghai pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,138 in Shizuoka versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shizuoka but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Shizuoka 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 Shizuoka 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 Shizuoka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.