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Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Tonghua Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Tonghua

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Shanghai is 34.4% more expensive than Tonghua without rent, and 68.1% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Shanghai is 42.2% more expensive than Tonghua without rent, and 75.5% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Shanghai
Tonghua
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.77 ยฅ33.30
$2.84 ยฅ19.83
67.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.92 ยฅ251
$20.50 ยฅ143
75.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.45 ยฅ38.01
$4.90 ยฅ34.19
11.22%
Cappuccino
$3.42 ยฅ23.89
$3.00 ยฅ20.93
14.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 ยฅ4.07
$0.44 ยฅ3.06
31.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ยฅ2.35
$0.27 ยฅ1.87
25.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.42 ยฅ9.91
$0.90 ยฅ6.27
57.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 ยฅ19.56
$2.15 ยฅ14.98
30.23%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Shanghai
Tonghua
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.09 ยฅ14.59
$1.61 ยฅ11.27
29.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 ยฅ12.92
$1.59 ยฅ11.06
16.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.10 ยฅ7.66
$0.96 ยฅ6.69
14.58%
Eggs
$1.60 ยฅ11.20
$1.56 ยฅ10.89
2.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.28 ยฅ107
$12.82 ยฅ89.5
19.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.08 ยฅ21.53
$3.21 ยฅ22.38
-4.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.85 ยฅ75.8
$10.40 ยฅ72.6
4.33%
Apples (1kg)
$2.33 ยฅ16.30
$1.74 ยฅ12.13
33.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 ยฅ12.35
$1.24 ยฅ8.67
42.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 ยฅ12.42
$1.35 ยฅ9.46
31.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 ยฅ10.28
$1.09 ยฅ7.60
34.86%
Potato (1kg)
$0.81 ยฅ5.64
$0.68 ยฅ4.72
19.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 ยฅ8.10
$0.90 ยฅ6.27
28.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ยฅ4.37
$0.57 ยฅ3.97
10.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ยฅ4.17
$0.52 ยฅ3.60
15.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.77 ยฅ19.35
$3.17 ยฅ22.13
-12.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.49 ยฅ80.2
$10.57 ยฅ73.7
8.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 ยฅ5.86
$0.79 ยฅ5.51
6.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 ยฅ11.27
$1.57 ยฅ10.99
2.55%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Shanghai
Tonghua
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ยฅ2.79
$0.27 ยฅ1.86
48.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.13 ยฅ238
$16.80 ยฅ117
103.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.29 ยฅ15.98
$1.42 ยฅ9.92
61.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 ยฅ2.63
$0.35 ยฅ2.45
8.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.32 ยฅ58.1
$6.85 ยฅ47.84
21.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 ยฅ8.00
$1.17 ยฅ8.18
-1.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K ยฅ137.2K
$19.6K ยฅ136.7K
0.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.3K ยฅ127.5K
$16.6K ยฅ115.8K
10.08%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shanghai
Tonghua
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$52.1 ยฅ363
$45.49 ยฅ318
14.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.79 ยฅ61.3
$9.97 ยฅ69.6
-11.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.87 ยฅ96.8
$11.44 ยฅ79.9
21.24%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Shanghai
Tonghua
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.42 ยฅ324
$42.06 ยฅ294
10.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.78 ยฅ138
$13.88 ยฅ96.9
42.51%
Cinema Ticket
$8.28 ยฅ57.8
$6.36 ยฅ44.42
30.19%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Shanghai
Tonghua
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,297 ยฅ9,056
$342 ยฅ2,384
279.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.9K ยฅ215.7K
$16.9K ยฅ117.8K
83.15%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Shanghai
Tonghua
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 ยฅ417
$43.83 ยฅ306
36.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.03 ยฅ265
$30.38 ยฅ212
25.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.5 ยฅ541
$71.8 ยฅ501
7.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.3 ยฅ693
$74.2 ยฅ518
33.93%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Shanghai
Tonghua
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$944 ยฅ6,591
$281 ยฅ1,959
236.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$570 ยฅ3,981
$187 ยฅ1,303
205.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,460 ยฅ17.2K
$601 ยฅ4,194
309.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,204 ยฅ8,401
$355 ยฅ2,477
239.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$14.2K ยฅ99.5K
$3,331 ยฅ23.3K
327.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,080 ยฅ49.4K
$1,957 ยฅ13.7K
261.84%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Shanghai
Tonghua
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,632 ยฅ11.4K
$494 ยฅ3,451
230.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.58
3.87
-7.49%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Shanghai: January 10, 2026

Last update for Tonghua: January 13, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
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