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: $1,219 in Shanghai versus $862 in Suzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,966 in Shanghai versus $1,494 in Suzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,713 in Shanghai versus $2,127 in Suzhou.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 41% more expensive than in Suzhou, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 11% lower, Suzhou 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 ¥30.26

$4.20 ¥28.13

7.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.28 ¥196

$29.93 ¥200

-2.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.26 ¥35.26

$5.27 ¥35.31

-0.19%

Cappuccino

$3.18 ¥21.30

$3.35 ¥22.47

-5.07%

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

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.73 ¥4.86

-15.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$0.42 ¥2.80

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.85

$2.20 ¥14.76

-46.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ¥18.33

$4.58 ¥30.71

-40.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ¥12.75

$1.96 ¥13.15

-3.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 ¥12.69

$2.01 ¥13.47

-5.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.86

$1.30 ¥8.71

-21.54%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥10.89

$1.77 ¥11.86

-7.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.20 ¥115

$17.69 ¥118

-2.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 ¥21.20

$3.33 ¥22.32

-5.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 ¥87.9

$8.38 ¥56.2

56.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.26

$2.06 ¥13.80

3.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.13

$1.23 ¥8.26

47.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ¥13.25

$1.36 ¥9.11

45.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ¥10.75

$1.47 ¥9.86

9.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.18

$0.64 ¥4.31

20.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.05

$1.17 ¥7.84

-23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.40

$0.82 ¥5.52

-19.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.54 ¥3.63

12.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.42

$4.39 ¥29.44

-13.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 ¥69.4

$8.95 ¥60.0

15.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥5.88

$1.05 ¥7.00

-16.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ¥10.40

$2.05 ¥13.73

-24.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.94

$0.35 ¥2.37

68.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.00 ¥201

$45.09 ¥302

-33.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 ¥14.49

$1.68 ¥11.23

28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.35 ¥2.37

22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 ¥60.5

$9.87 ¥66.1

-8.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.47

$1.25 ¥8.40

0.80%

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

$19.4K ¥130.3K

$19.2K ¥128.7K

1.22%

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

$18.7K ¥125.2K

$17.8K ¥119.2K

5.11%

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

$57.5 ¥385

$102 ¥681

-43.42%

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

$8.41 ¥56.3

$13.00 ¥87.1

-35.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.08 ¥67.6

$11.30 ¥75.7

-10.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 ¥437

$33.71 ¥226

93.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$18.94 ¥127

-8.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.98 ¥60.2

$6.08 ¥40.72

47.70%

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

$1,411 ¥9,452

$1,239 ¥8,300

13.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥189.1K

$21.4K ¥143.2K

32.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 ¥348

$52.0 ¥349

-0.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.39 ¥250

$40.46 ¥271

-7.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 ¥493

$85.0 ¥569

-13.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ¥704

$85.3 ¥571

23.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$982 ¥6,574

$450 ¥3,011

118.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 ¥3,786

$191 ¥1,278

196.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,419 ¥16.2K

$1,060 ¥7,102

128.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 ¥7,807

$598 ¥4,009

94.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K ¥91.6K

$5,374 ¥36.0K

154.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,118 ¥41.0K

$2,735 ¥18.3K

123.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 ¥11.7K

$1,388 ¥9,299

25.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.53

-4.25%

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

Last update for Shanghai: September 14, 2026

Last update for Suzhou: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $982 in Shanghai and $450 in Suzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 26% 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 $30.00 in Suzhou. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $219, with Suzhou 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 Suzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Suzhou differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,219 vs $862 including rent). Suzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $982 in Shanghai versus $450 in Suzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,411 in Shanghai versus $1,239 in Suzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $862 in Suzhou versus $1,219 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 41% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.