Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Suwon

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,256 a month against $1,363 in Suwon, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Suwon despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Suwon
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Suwon Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Suwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Suwon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Shanghai versus $1,363 in Suwon.

Shanghai $1,256
Suwon $1,363

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $2,148 in Suwon.

Shanghai $1,999
Suwon $2,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Shanghai versus $2,933 in Suwon.

Shanghai $2,743
Suwon $2,933

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 8% less than in Suwon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 7% below, Suwon is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$5.96 ₩7,921

-25.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$30.15 ₩40.1K

0.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$7.57 ₩10.1K

-32.76%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$3.39 ₩4,512

1.18%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$1.60 ₩2,126

-61.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.63 ₩836

-38.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$3.86 ₩5,129

-68.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$4.77 ₩6,336

-53.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$2.65 ₩3,528

-30.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$2.67 ₩3,546

-26.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$3.40 ₩4,517

-70.59%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$3.15 ₩4,184

-45.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$11.04 ₩14.7K

58.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$11.50 ₩15.3K

-71.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$11.06 ₩14.7K

17.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$6.28 ₩8,355

-64.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$2.95 ₩3,916

-43.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$5.29 ₩7,030

-63.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$4.44 ₩5,910

-61.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$3.45 ₩4,590

-77.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$2.64 ₩3,516

-65.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$4.86 ₩6,458

-86.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$1.30 ₩1,726

-53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.78 ₩5,029

-2.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$13.86 ₩18.4K

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$2.53 ₩3,369

-65.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$3.71 ₩4,939

-56.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$1.21 ₩1,603

-48.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$47.15 ₩62.7K

-35.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$2.81 ₩3,739

-26.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.66 ₩882

-30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$8.80 ₩11.7K

0.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.40 ₩1,856

-5.00%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$28.4K ₩37.7M

-32.14%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$25.5K ₩33.9M

-28.36%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$185 ₩246.1K

-69.15%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$17.99 ₩23.9K

-55.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$17.72 ₩23.6K

-39.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$44.21 ₩58.8K

46.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$11.73 ₩15.6K

47.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$11.21 ₩14.9K

-19.27%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$696 ₩925.0K

107.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$18.0K ₩24.0M

56.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$36.84 ₩49.0K

45.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$106 ₩140.4K

-64.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$73.8 ₩98.1K

4.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$59.2 ₩78.7K

75.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$433 ₩575.7K

136.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$351 ₩466.4K

69.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$1,164 ₩1.5M

120.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$813 ₩1.1M

49.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$12.7K ₩16.8M

6.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$7,005 ₩9.3M

-10.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

$2,576 ₩3.4M

-34.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

6.5

-48.31%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Suwon: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Suwon

$351 25.7% 40.9% $243

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Suwon

$394 28.9% 65.9% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Suwon

$124 9.1% 1.5% $1.8

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Suwon

$149 10.9% 39.5% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Suwon

$67 4.9% 19.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Suwon

$221 16.2% 191% $145

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Suwon

$58 4.3% 56.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,023 in Shanghai and $433 in Suwon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suwon pays 52% 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 $30.00 in Suwon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $394 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇷 Suwon

🕒 Local time

02:26 2:26 AM

03:26 3:26 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

1,203,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Suwon 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Suwon

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 Suwon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Suwon differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,363 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Suwon. 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: $1,023 in Shanghai versus $433 in Suwon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,441 in Shanghai versus $696 in Suwon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Suwon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,256 in Shanghai versus $1,363 in Suwon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Suwon. 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 Suwon 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 9% less than in Suwon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.