Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,220 in Shanghai versus $652 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,946 in Shanghai versus $1,051 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,672 in Shanghai versus $1,450 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 87% more expensive than Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 9% lower, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.73 ¥32.39

$2.84 ¥19.48

66.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.90 ¥253

$22.70 ¥155

62.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.41 ¥37.03

$4.81 ¥32.98

12.47%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥23.41

$2.89 ¥19.81

18.34%

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

$0.55 ¥3.76

$0.42 ¥2.87

30.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ¥2.32

$0.24 ¥1.63

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 ¥9.63

$0.80 ¥5.49

76.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ¥19.67

$1.41 ¥9.67

103.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ¥14.23

$2.30 ¥15.72

-9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ¥12.30

$1.14 ¥7.78

57.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.18

$0.83 ¥5.66

26.51%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥11.14

$1.47 ¥10.09

10.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.36 ¥105

$9.06 ¥62.1

69.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 ¥21.10

$2.72 ¥18.66

13.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 ¥75.1

$5.54 ¥37.92

98.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥16.24

$2.15 ¥14.75

10.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ¥12.13

$1.43 ¥9.82

23.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.88

$1.64 ¥11.26

5.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥10.05

$1.16 ¥7.96

26.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.37

$0.92 ¥6.32

-15.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.71

$0.87 ¥5.99

29.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.63

$0.82 ¥5.61

-17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.10

$0.61 ¥4.16

-1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.28

$3.27 ¥22.41

-13.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 ¥81.2

$7.90 ¥54.1

50.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.45

$0.88 ¥6.01

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.98

$1.40 ¥9.60

14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥3.00

$0.29 ¥2.01

51.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.13 ¥241

$16.46 ¥113

113.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 ¥15.09

$1.56 ¥10.70

41.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.80

$0.38 ¥2.64

7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ¥56.5

$8.49 ¥58.2

-2.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥7.56

$1.14 ¥7.80

-3.51%

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

$19.8K ¥135.7K

$16.7K ¥114.7K

18.32%

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

$18.1K ¥124.2K

$14.3K ¥98.1K

26.54%

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

$51.3 ¥351

$17.64 ¥121

190.70%

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

$8.47 ¥58.0

$11.08 ¥75.9

-23.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.92 ¥95.4

$10.94 ¥74.9

27.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.61 ¥319

$56.1 ¥385

-16.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.15 ¥138

$14.05 ¥96.2

43.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ¥56.6

$5.41 ¥37.06

52.68%

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

$1,309 ¥8,969

$275 ¥1,881

376.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K ¥219.3K

$16.5K ¥113.1K

93.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 ¥399

$41.05 ¥281

41.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥261

$33.43 ¥229

13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 ¥540

$56.8 ¥389

39.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 ¥660

$56.7 ¥388

70.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ¥6,595

$281 ¥1,923

243.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 ¥3,859

$191 ¥1,309

194.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 ¥17.1K

$592 ¥4,058

320.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 ¥8,198

$356 ¥2,439

236.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥94.9K

$2,884 ¥19.8K

380.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,279 ¥49.9K

$1,980 ¥13.6K

267.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.87

-7.49%

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

Last update for Shanghai: April 25, 2026

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Shanghai and $281 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Shanghai vs $23.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $171 per month, with Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,220 vs $652 including rent). Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,830 in Shanghai and $978 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Shanghai versus $281 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,309 in Shanghai versus $275 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $652 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $1,220 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.