Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Tashkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Tashkent: $1,025 a month against $1,250 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Tashkent
Learn more

Tashkent Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Tashkent

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$1,025

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Tashkent

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Shanghai versus $1,025 in Tashkent.

Shanghai $1,250
Tashkent $1,025

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,019 in Shanghai versus $1,630 in Tashkent.

Shanghai $2,019
Tashkent $1,630

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,789 in Shanghai versus $2,234 in Tashkent.

Shanghai $2,789
Tashkent $2,234

Living in Shanghai is roughly 22% more expensive than in Tashkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 7% lower, Tashkent 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.45

$6.91 UZS 81.4K

-34.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥198

$33.76 UZS 397.7K

-12.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.13

$5.01 UZS 59.0K

1.80%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.92

$2.56 UZS 30.1K

33.59%

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

$0.61 ¥4.12

$0.76 UZS 9,001

-19.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$0.34 UZS 3,991

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.08

$2.17 UZS 25.5K

-44.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.33

$3.84 UZS 45.3K

-40.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.48

$1.35 UZS 15.8K

37.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.47

$0.83 UZS 9,736

142.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.84

$1.75 UZS 20.6K

-41.71%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.48

$1.82 UZS 21.5K

-5.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

$8.03 UZS 94.6K

114.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.43

$4.13 UZS 48.6K

-18.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.7

$12.77 UZS 150.4K

0.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.54

$1.56 UZS 18.3K

39.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.67

$1.78 UZS 21.0K

-2.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.99

$2.35 UZS 27.7K

-17.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$1.73 UZS 20.3K

-2.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.18

$0.57 UZS 6,664

35.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$0.42 UZS 4,930

121.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$1.05 UZS 12.4K

-40.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.46 UZS 5,370

26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.64

$1.99 UZS 23.5K

92.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.2

$7.58 UZS 89.3K

44.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.60

$1.34 UZS 15.7K

-37.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.73

$3.54 UZS 41.7K

-54.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.15 UZS 1,814

293.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥203

$12.64 UZS 148.9K

139.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$0.84 UZS 9,870

145.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.36 UZS 4,279

30.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.9

$3.43 UZS 40.4K

156.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.53

$1.17 UZS 13.8K

8.55%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$16.7K UZS 196.5M

17.51%

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

$18.6K ¥124.4K

$24.7K UZS 290.6M

-24.68%

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

$57.2 ¥383

$67.5 UZS 794.8K

-15.18%

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

$8.06 ¥53.9

$4.46 UZS 52.5K

80.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.4

$13.75 UZS 162.0K

-23.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥433

$63.7 UZS 750.2K

1.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

$18.97 UZS 223.5K

-7.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

$6.02 UZS 70.9K

46.84%

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

$1,437 ¥9,620

$333 UZS 3.9M

332.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.9K

$9,395 UZS 110.7M

198.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥366

$50.7 UZS 597.8K

7.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥244

$59.3 UZS 699.0K

-38.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$111 UZS 1.3M

-32.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥696

$137 UZS 1.6M

-24.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,956

$595 UZS 7.0M

74.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,940

$376 UZS 4.4M

56.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

$1,177 UZS 13.9M

111.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,282

$727 UZS 8.6M

70.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.9K

$1,653 UZS 19.5M

721.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

$941 UZS 11.1M

557.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$712 UZS 8.4M

140.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

23.31

-85.59%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tashkent: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Tashkent

$376 36.3% 36.1% $212

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Tashkent

$197 19% 17% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Tashkent

$161 15.6% 32.5% $40

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Tashkent

$124 12% 15.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Tashkent

$76 7.3% 8% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Tashkent

$86 8.3% 13% $9.9

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Tashkent

$16 1.5% 57% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,039 in Shanghai and $595 in Tashkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 141% 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 $34.00 in Tashkent. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $197, with Tashkent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇺🇿 Tashkent

🕒 Local time

09:56 9:56 AM

06:56 6:56 AM

3 h behind Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

2,956,384 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.49 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11,780 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.49 USD). 1 EUR = 13,212 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.57 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Tashkent 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Tashkent

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 Tashkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Tashkent differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $1,025 including rent). Tashkent is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 141% 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: $1,039 in Shanghai versus $595 in Tashkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,437 in Shanghai versus $333 in Tashkent. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,025 in Tashkent versus $1,250 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tashkent but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Tashkent 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 Tashkent 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 Tashkent gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.