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: $1,209 in Shanghai versus $1,066 in Sivas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,979 in Shanghai versus $1,616 in Sivas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Shanghai versus $2,165 in Sivas.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 13% more expensive than Sivas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Sivas 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.90 ¥33.15

$6.32 ₺290

-22.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.30 ¥245

$29.73 ₺1,366

22.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ¥37.82

$7.74 ₺355

-27.78%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ¥24.02

$3.72 ₺171

-4.57%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$2.55 ₺117

-77.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.46

$0.53 ₺24.32

-32.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ¥9.66

$5.01 ₺230

-71.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ¥19.24

$6.48 ₺298

-56.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ¥14.59

$1.00 ₺45.99

116.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ¥12.02

$0.34 ₺15.81

423.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.42

$2.21 ₺101

-50.23%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.43

$2.56 ₺117

-33.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.30 ¥103

$6.17 ₺283

147.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥21.11

$3.72 ₺171

-16.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ¥72.7

$11.61 ₺534

-7.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ¥15.28

$1.29 ₺59.2

75.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ¥11.31

$2.47 ₺114

-32.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.16

$1.24 ₺56.9

45.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.35

$1.28 ₺58.9

19.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.46

$0.99 ₺45.59

-18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.52

$0.78 ₺35.70

42.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.61

$0.79 ₺36.19

-13.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.88 ₺40.31

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ¥19.18

$2.09 ₺96.0

35.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 ¥78.5

$9.67 ₺444

19.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.32

$2.08 ₺95.7

-62.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.06

$3.01 ₺138

-45.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.63 ₺29.08

-31.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.41 ¥233

$30.20 ₺1,387

13.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ¥14.91

$1.06 ₺48.51

108.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.65 ₺29.78

-41.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 ¥56.6

$7.57 ₺348

10.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.71

$1.16 ₺53.5

-1.72%

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

$19.5K ¥132.1K

$43.8K ₺2.0M

-55.42%

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

$18.1K ¥122.7K

$42.8K ₺2.0M

-57.63%

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

$52.8 ¥357

$62.4 ₺2,868

-15.41%

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

$8.53 ¥57.7

$10.69 ₺491

-20.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 ¥93.6

$12.90 ₺593

7.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.02 ¥318

$43.30 ₺1,990

8.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.81 ¥134

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 ¥57.2

$5.75 ₺264

47.13%

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

$1,303 ¥8,808

$619 ₺28.4K

110.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K ¥213.5K

$8,991 ₺413.1K

251.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥403

$51.7 ₺2,376

15.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥258

$45.05 ₺2,070

-15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ¥533

$102 ₺4,687

-22.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 ¥671

$89.1 ₺4,092

11.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,306

$520 ₺23.9K

79.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 ¥3,854

$392 ₺18.0K

45.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 ¥16.8K

$887 ₺40.8K

180.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ¥8,062

$720 ₺33.1K

65.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥94.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,729 ¥45.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,689 ¥11.4K

$974 ₺44.8K

73.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

-86.74%

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

Last update for Shanghai: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sivas: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $933 in Shanghai and $520 in Sivas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 73% 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: $36.00 in Shanghai vs $30.00 in Sivas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $191 per month, with Sivas cheaper across the board.

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 13% in total monthly costs ($1,209 vs $1,066 including rent). Sivas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shanghai pays 73% more on average, 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: $933 in Shanghai versus $520 in Sivas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,303 in Shanghai versus $619 in Sivas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,066 in Sivas versus $1,209 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 13% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.