Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Suzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Suzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,192 in Shanghai versus $969 in Suzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,958 in Shanghai versus $1,586 in Suzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,724 in Shanghai versus $2,204 in Suzhou.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 23% more expensive than in Suzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 11% lower, Suzhou 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ¥31.97

$4.11 ¥27.84

14.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.92 ¥243

$41.41 ¥280

-13.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 ¥38.81

$5.52 ¥37.33

3.99%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ¥23.80

$3.85 ¥26.07

-8.57%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$1.69 ¥11.41

-66.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.25

$0.78 ¥5.26

-57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ¥9.20

$4.23 ¥28.64

-67.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ¥19.20

$5.42 ¥36.68

-47.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ¥14.20

$2.43 ¥16.46

-13.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ¥12.15

$2.39 ¥16.17

-24.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.13

$1.12 ¥7.59

-6.25%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.35

$2.06 ¥13.92

-18.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.78 ¥107

$20.81 ¥141

-24.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ¥21.43

$3.74 ¥25.29

-15.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 ¥74.6

$7.59 ¥51.4

45.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ¥16.08

$2.12 ¥14.32

12.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.47

$1.58 ¥10.67

6.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.07

$1.57 ¥10.65

13.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.83

$1.31 ¥8.86

10.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.64

$0.68 ¥4.63

22.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.64

$1.15 ¥7.76

-1.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.57

$0.99 ¥6.73

-31.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.06

$0.51 ¥3.43

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.06

$4.09 ¥27.67

-31.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 ¥79.5

$10.36 ¥70.1

13.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.28

$0.87 ¥5.87

-10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.64

$2.75 ¥18.58

-42.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.29 ¥1.98

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.05 ¥237

$42.18 ¥285

-16.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ¥15.28

$1.78 ¥12.03

26.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.52

$0.33 ¥2.22

12.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.18 ¥55.4

$8.56 ¥57.9

-4.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥7.80

$1.14 ¥7.71

0.88%

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

$19.3K ¥130.5K

$21.2K ¥143.5K

-9.06%

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

$17.7K ¥120.0K

$23.9K ¥162.0K

-25.94%

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

$53.0 ¥359

$118 ¥801

-55.19%

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

$8.77 ¥59.4

$15.12 ¥102

-42.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.78 ¥93.3

$11.46 ¥77.5

20.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.42 ¥307

$64.7 ¥438

-29.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥135

$19.10 ¥129

4.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.30 ¥56.2

$6.80 ¥46.03

22.06%

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

$1,264 ¥8,555

$781 ¥5,286

61.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K ¥214.3K

$17.0K ¥115.2K

86.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 ¥390

$53.2 ¥360

8.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 ¥257

$35.25 ¥239

7.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥521

$72.3 ¥489

6.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 ¥655

$93.8 ¥635

3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 ¥6,466

$403 ¥2,727

137.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,755

$206 ¥1,392

169.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 ¥16.9K

$966 ¥6,541

158.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ¥8,166

$527 ¥3,567

128.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.3K ¥96.7K

$5,406 ¥36.6K

164.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,625 ¥44.8K

$2,701 ¥18.3K

145.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,702 ¥11.5K

$1,338 ¥9,056

27.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.86

-7.25%

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

Last update for Shanghai: July 11, 2026

Last update for Suzhou: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $955 in Shanghai and $403 in Suzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 27% 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 $41.00 in Suzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $243 per month, with Shanghai 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 Suzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Suzhou differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,192 vs $969 including rent). Suzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $955 in Shanghai versus $403 in Suzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,264 in Shanghai versus $781 in Suzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Shanghai pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $969 in Suzhou versus $1,192 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Suzhou but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Suzhou 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.

Expats usually find Suzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.