Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Songdo-dong

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,444 in Songdo-dong, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Songdo-dong
Learn more

Songdo-dong Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Songdo-dong

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Songdo-dong

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 Songdo-dong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,444 in Songdo-dong.

Shanghai $1,244
Songdo-dong $1,444

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $2,292 in Songdo-dong.

Shanghai $1,999
Songdo-dong $2,292

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $3,140 in Songdo-dong.

Shanghai $2,755
Songdo-dong $3,140

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 14% less than in Songdo-dong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 8% below, Songdo-dong is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.43

$5.87 ₩7,825

-22.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$34.90 ₩46.6K

-13.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.08

$6.63 ₩8,847

-20.81%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.91

$3.62 ₩4,831

-9.39%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.53 ₩2,039

-62.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$0.58 ₩780

-37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$3.06 ₩4,077

-59.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.16

$4.56 ₩6,088

-50.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.28

$2.20 ₩2,935

-16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.06

$3.06 ₩4,080

-35.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.86

$2.35 ₩3,137

-56.17%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.15

$3.33 ₩4,444

-49.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$15.79 ₩21.1K

7.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.30

$7.80 ₩10.4K

-59.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.1

$11.34 ₩15.1K

13.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$7.80 ₩10.4K

-71.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.12

$3.18 ₩4,249

-47.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.52

$7.67 ₩10.2K

-73.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$6.78 ₩9,048

-75.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$3.55 ₩4,736

-78.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$2.42 ₩3,227

-61.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.18

$2.04 ₩2,727

-69.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$1.47 ₩1,967

-59.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.40

$3.29 ₩4,394

15.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.6

$18.48 ₩24.7K

-41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.50

$2.29 ₩3,054

-64.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.75

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥196

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.09

$3.64 ₩4,853

-42.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$0.61 ₩820

-29.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.88

$1.35 ₩1,796

-1.48%

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

$19.0K ¥127.0K

$29.2K ₩38.9M

-34.81%

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

$18.7K ¥124.9K

$35.7K ₩47.6M

-47.56%

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

$57.8 ¥386

$210 ₩279.6K

-72.41%

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

$8.09 ¥54.0

$43.59 ₩58.2K

-81.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥69.9

$20.61 ₩27.5K

-49.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.8

$11.32 ₩15.1K

-20.94%

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

$1,414 ¥9,438

$380 ₩507.1K

271.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.0K

$17.9K ₩23.9M

55.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥360

$64.3 ₩85.8K

-16.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$64.7 ₩86.3K

-42.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$75.5 ₩100.8K

-1.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥705

$99.0 ₩132.0K

6.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,046

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,904

$453 ₩604.7K

29.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,914 ₩2.6M

29.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,228

$1,064 ₩1.4M

15.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$3,372 ₩4.5M

-49.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

4.1

-18.05%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Songdo-dong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Songdo-dong

$453 31.4% 22.5% $131

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Songdo-dong

$408 * 28.3% 73.8% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Songdo-dong

$137 9.5% 12% $15

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Songdo-dong

$143 9.9% 35% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Songdo-dong

$23 * 1.6% 72.9% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Songdo-dong

$274 19% 258% $197

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Songdo-dong

$6.7 * 0.5% 81.4% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Songdo-dong pays 97% 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 $35.00 in Songdo-dong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $408 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇷 Songdo-dong

🕒 Local time

21:33 9:33 PM

22:33 10:33 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Shanghai Songdo-dong 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Songdo-dong

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 Songdo-dong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Songdo-dong differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $1,444 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 97% lower in Songdo-dong. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Songdo-dong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,244 per month in Shanghai versus $1,444 in Songdo-dong – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,444 in Songdo-dong, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Songdo-dong. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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 Songdo-dong 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 Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Songdo-dong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.