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: $1,236 in Shanghai versus $713 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,976 in Shanghai versus $1,191 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,717 in Shanghai versus $1,670 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 74% more expensive than in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.52

$3.81 ¥25.52

19.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.50 ¥198

$25.83 ¥173

14.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.98

$4.92 ¥32.96

9.15%

Cappuccino

$3.21 ¥21.49

$3.04 ¥20.39

5.59%

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

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.48 ¥3.18

27.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.31 ¥2.05

22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.13

$0.88 ¥5.88

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ¥18.15

$1.53 ¥10.23

77.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ¥13.13

$1.90 ¥12.75

3.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.18 ¥7.87

56.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.96

$0.91 ¥6.07

14.29%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.49

$2.16 ¥14.45

-27.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.49 ¥117

$18.80 ¥126

-6.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 ¥22.23

$3.78 ¥25.33

-12.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.58 ¥91.0

$6.04 ¥40.46

124.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.20

$2.33 ¥15.60

-9.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.84

$1.34 ¥8.97

32.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ¥13.33

$1.59 ¥10.66

25.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.84

$1.38 ¥9.21

28.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.44

$0.93 ¥6.26

-12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.78

$0.90 ¥6.06

12.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ¥4.68

$0.62 ¥4.17

12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ¥4.44

$0.58 ¥3.91

13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.46

$3.65 ¥24.46

4.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.30 ¥69.0

$13.16 ¥88.1

-21.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$0.75 ¥5.02

25.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ¥10.58

$1.50 ¥10.06

5.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.31 ¥2.09

90.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.87 ¥200

$17.79 ¥119

67.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ¥14.83

$1.98 ¥13.26

11.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.38 ¥2.56

23.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ¥60.0

$7.06 ¥47.25

26.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.54

$1.16 ¥7.76

10.34%

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

$19.6K ¥131.0K

$17.7K ¥118.3K

10.81%

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

$19.0K ¥127.1K

$17.7K ¥118.5K

7.28%

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

$59.3 ¥397

$18.94 ¥127

213.25%

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

$8.62 ¥57.7

$10.52 ¥70.4

-18.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.90 ¥66.3

$11.30 ¥75.7

-12.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 ¥439

$59.9 ¥401

9.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.45 ¥110

$14.99 ¥100

9.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.09 ¥60.9

$7.27 ¥48.69

25.03%

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

$1,439 ¥9,638

$293 ¥1,961

391.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ¥172.6K

$18.1K ¥121.3K

42.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 ¥355

$44.89 ¥301

18.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.80 ¥253

$42.54 ¥285

-11.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥497

$58.6 ¥393

26.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ¥720

$59.6 ¥399

80.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 ¥6,743

$287 ¥1,923

250.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 ¥3,781

$178 ¥1,192

217.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 ¥16.1K

$602 ¥4,029

300.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 ¥8,120

$370 ¥2,476

227.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.5K

$2,975 ¥19.9K

364.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,147 ¥41.2K

$1,967 ¥13.2K

212.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 ¥11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.5

-4.00%

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

Last update for Shanghai: September 5, 2026

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,007 in Shanghai and $287 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29.00 in Shanghai vs $26.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $217 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 74% in total monthly costs ($1,236 vs $713 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 $1,854 in Shanghai and $1,069 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: $1,007 in Shanghai versus $287 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,439 in Shanghai versus $293 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 11% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $713 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $1,236 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 74% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.