Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $1,635 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
Learn more

Tokyo Living Index

Jump to prices

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Tokyo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Shanghai versus $1,635 in Tokyo.

Shanghai $1,250
Tokyo $1,635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,019 in Shanghai versus $2,608 in Tokyo.

Shanghai $2,019
Tokyo $2,608

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,789 in Shanghai versus $3,581 in Tokyo.

Shanghai $2,789
Tokyo $3,581

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 24% less than in Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 7% below, Tokyo is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.45

$7.64 ¥1,207

-40.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥198

$38.51 ¥6,087

-23.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.13

$5.05 ¥799

0.99%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.92

$3.61 ¥570

-5.26%

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

$0.61 ¥4.12

$1.62 ¥257

-62.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$0.86 ¥135

-58.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.08

$3.69 ¥583

-67.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.33

$5.27 ¥834

-56.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.48

$1.53 ¥242

21.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.47

$1.76 ¥278

14.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.84

$5.59 ¥883

-81.75%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.48

$2.24 ¥354

-23.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

$10.65 ¥1,684

61.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.43

$6.60 ¥1,043

-49.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.7

$16.74 ¥2,646

-23.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.54

$4.86 ¥768

-55.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.67

$2.35 ¥371

-25.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.99

$4.33 ¥684

-55.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$5.28 ¥835

-68.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.18

$3.41 ¥539

-77.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$3.19 ¥504

-70.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$1.18 ¥187

-47.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.83 ¥131

-30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.64

$3.84 ¥607

-0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.2

$9.27 ¥1,466

18.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.60

$1.64 ¥259

-48.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.73

$2.75 ¥434

-41.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$1.29 ¥204

-54.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥203

$62.1 ¥9,819

-51.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$3.08 ¥487

-33.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$3.21 ¥507

-85.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.9

$18.41 ¥2,909

-52.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.53

$1.07 ¥169

18.69%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$22.2K ¥3.5M

-11.60%

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

$18.6K ¥124.4K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

21.52%

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

$57.2 ¥383

$148 ¥23.3K

-61.23%

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

$8.06 ¥53.9

$21.97 ¥3,472

-63.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.4

$30.43 ¥4,810

-65.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥433

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-0.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

$25.55 ¥4,039

-31.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

$12.87 ¥2,034

-31.31%

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

$1,437 ¥9,620

$1,360 ¥215.0K

5.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.9K

$18.3K ¥2.9M

53.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥366

$56.5 ¥8,932

-3.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥244

$33.16 ¥5,241

9.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$64.4 ¥10.2K

17.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥696

$71.8 ¥11.3K

44.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,956

$1,275 ¥201.5K

-18.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,940

$702 ¥111.0K

-16.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

$2,565 ¥405.5K

-3.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,282

$1,480 ¥234.0K

-16.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.9K

$9,152 ¥1.4M

48.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

$4,191 ¥662.4K

47.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$2,998 ¥473.8K

-42.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.25

49.33%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Tokyo

$702 42.2% 19.3% $114

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Tokyo

$325 19.5% 37.3% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Tokyo

$102 6.1% 16.5% $20

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Tokyo

$158 9.5% 47.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Tokyo

$91 5.5% 10.4% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Tokyo

$200 12% 164% $124

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Tokyo

$86 5.2% 134% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,039 in Shanghai and $1,275 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 75% 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 $39.00 in Tokyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $325 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

10:39 10:39 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, 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).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Tokyo 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Tokyo

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 Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Tokyo differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $1,635 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Tokyo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,039 in Shanghai versus $1,275 in Tokyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,437 in Shanghai versus $1,360 in Tokyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Tokyo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Shanghai versus $1,635 in Tokyo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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 Tokyo 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 Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.