Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Sivas Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Sivas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,236 in Shanghai versus $934 in Sivas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,976 in Shanghai versus $1,417 in Sivas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,717 in Shanghai versus $1,899 in Sivas.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 32% more expensive than in Sivas, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Sivas 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.52

$8.19 ₺397

-44.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.50 ¥198

$63.1 ₺3,066

-53.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.98

$7.85 ₺381

-31.59%

Cappuccino

$3.21 ¥21.49

$3.36 ₺163

-4.46%

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

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.91 ₺44.40

-32.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.25 ₺12.13

52.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.13

$1.93 ₺93.7

-37.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ¥18.15

$2.72 ₺132

-0.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ¥13.13

$0.93 ₺45.30

110.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$0.79 ₺38.16

134.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.96

$2.47 ₺120

-57.89%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.49

$2.62 ₺127

-40.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.49 ¥117

$8.70 ₺422

101.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 ¥22.23

$2.94 ₺143

12.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.58 ¥91.0

$20.02 ₺972

-32.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.20

$2.09 ₺101

1.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.84

$1.61 ₺78.3

9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ¥13.33

$0.84 ₺40.65

136.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.84

$1.07 ₺51.9

65.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.44

$0.46 ₺22.53

76.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.78

$0.28 ₺13.45

260.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ¥4.68

$0.81 ₺39.16

-13.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ¥4.44

$0.57 ₺27.76

15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.46

$2.03 ₺98.7

87.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.30 ¥69.0

$9.03 ₺438

14.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$1.64 ₺79.6

-42.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ¥10.58

$2.29 ₺111

-31.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.50 ₺24.20

18.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.87 ¥200

$15.34 ₺745

94.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ¥14.83

$1.89 ₺91.6

16.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.57 ₺27.91

-17.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ¥60.0

$5.13 ₺249

74.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.54

$1.27 ₺61.5

0.79%

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

$19.6K ¥131.0K

$41.3K ₺2.0M

-52.58%

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

$19.0K ¥127.1K

$40.5K ₺2.0M

-53.12%

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

$59.3 ¥397

$91.3 ₺4,435

-35.04%

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

$8.62 ¥57.7

$11.50 ₺558

-25.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.90 ¥66.3

$12.80 ₺622

-22.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 ¥439

$30.67 ₺1,489

113.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.45 ¥110

Cinema Ticket

$9.09 ¥60.9

$4.04 ₺196

125.00%

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

$1,439 ¥9,638

$258 ₺12.5K

457.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ¥172.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 ¥355

$27.34 ₺1,327

94.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.80 ¥253

$60.9 ₺2,956

-37.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥497

$71.7 ₺3,481

3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ¥720

$48.89 ₺2,374

119.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 ¥6,743

$466 ₺22.6K

116.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 ¥3,781

$307 ₺14.9K

83.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 ¥16.1K

$509 ₺24.7K

372.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 ¥8,120

$308 ₺15.0K

293.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,147 ¥41.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 ¥11.6K

$892 ₺43.3K

94.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

-90.67%

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

Last update for Shanghai: September 5, 2026

Last update for Sivas: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,007 in Shanghai and $466 in Sivas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 94% 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: $29.00 in Shanghai vs $63.0 in Sivas. Groceries flip the comparison at $240 vs $210, with Sivas cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sivas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Sivas differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,236 vs $934 including rent). Sivas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 94% 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: $1,007 in Shanghai versus $466 in Sivas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,439 in Shanghai versus $258 in Sivas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $934 in Sivas versus $1,236 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sivas but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Sivas 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 Sivas 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 Sivas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.