Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Tonghua

For one person, living is cheaper in Tonghua: $632 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Tonghua
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Tonghua Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Tonghua

🇨🇳 China

$632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Tonghua

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Shanghai versus $632 in Tonghua.

Shanghai $1,256
Tonghua $632

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,034 in Tonghua.

Shanghai $1,999
Tonghua $1,034

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Shanghai versus $1,436 in Tonghua.

Shanghai $2,743
Tonghua $1,436

Living in Shanghai is roughly 99% more expensive than in Tonghua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 7% lower, Tonghua 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$2.20 ¥14.74

102.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$22.19 ¥148

36.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$2.25 ¥15.07

52.44%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.47 ¥3.15

31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.35 ¥2.35

11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$0.79 ¥5.25

55.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$1.85 ¥12.38

19.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.68 ¥11.23

10.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$2.14 ¥14.32

-8.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$1.07 ¥7.16

-6.54%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.06 ¥7.09

61.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$13.11 ¥87.6

33.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$2.94 ¥19.66

10.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$6.54 ¥43.73

98.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$0.99 ¥6.60

126.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$1.08 ¥7.21

55.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$0.81 ¥5.41

140.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$1.08 ¥7.23

60.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$0.92 ¥6.17

-17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.02 ¥6.85

-9.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$0.59 ¥3.94

11.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$0.69 ¥4.60

-13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$3.64 ¥24.33

1.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$11.75 ¥78.5

-7.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$0.65 ¥4.33

33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$1.10 ¥7.38

48.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.31 ¥2.07

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$17.92 ¥120

69.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$0.92 ¥6.14

123.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.38 ¥2.56

21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$3.07 ¥20.51

187.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.31 ¥8.74

1.53%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$19.3K ¥129.1K

-0.27%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$17.0K ¥114.0K

7.03%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$23.25 ¥155

145.63%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$5.85 ¥39.12

37.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$8.98 ¥60.1

19.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$41.90 ¥280

54.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$15.09 ¥101

14.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$5.89 ¥39.36

53.65%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$294 ¥1,969

389.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$15.0K ¥100.6K

87.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$22.05 ¥147

142.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$34.01 ¥227

8.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$58.8 ¥393

30.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$69.4 ¥464

49.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$294 ¥1,965

248.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$179 ¥1,199

231.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$639 ¥4,273

300.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$375 ¥2,509

223.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$3,528 ¥23.6K

283.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$1,980 ¥13.2K

215.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

$501 ¥3,350

239.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

-16.00%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tonghua: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Tonghua

$179 28.4% 69.8% $415

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Tonghua

$185 29.3% 22.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Tonghua

$83 13.1% 32.1% $39

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Tonghua

$71 11.2% 33.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Tonghua

$54 8.5% 35.1% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Tonghua

$38 6% 49.8% $38

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Tonghua

$22 3.5% 40.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,023 in Shanghai and $294 in Tonghua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 239% 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 $22.00 in Tonghua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $185 per month, with Tonghua cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Tonghua

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

446,917

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shanghai Tonghua 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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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 Tonghua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Tonghua differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $632 including rent). Tonghua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 239% 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: $1,023 in Shanghai versus $294 in Tonghua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,441 in Shanghai versus $294 in Tonghua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $632 in Tonghua versus $1,256 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tonghua but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Tonghua 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 Tonghua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.