Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Toyohashi

For one person, living is cheaper in Toyohashi: $1,086 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shanghai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Toyohashi
Learn more

Toyohashi Living Index

Jump to prices

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Toyohashi

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Toyohashi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,086 in Toyohashi.

Shanghai $1,244
Toyohashi $1,086

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,731 in Toyohashi.

Shanghai $1,999
Toyohashi $1,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $2,375 in Toyohashi.

Shanghai $2,755
Toyohashi $2,375

Living in Shanghai is roughly 14% more expensive than in Toyohashi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Toyohashi 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$7.61 ¥1,202

-40.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$31.31 ¥4,946

-3.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.90 ¥774

7.14%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.38 ¥375

37.82%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.18 ¥187

-51.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.58 ¥92.1

-37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$2.03 ¥321

-39.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.24 ¥354

1.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.22 ¥193

50.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.23 ¥194

59.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$1.91 ¥302

-46.07%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.40 ¥221

19.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$12.71 ¥2,009

33.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$4.97 ¥785

-35.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$19.20 ¥3,033

-32.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$1.87 ¥296

19.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$0.99 ¥156

67.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$2.79 ¥441

-27.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$3.06 ¥484

-45.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$1.24 ¥195

-37.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.30 ¥205

-28.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.66 ¥104

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.52 ¥82.2

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.54 ¥559

7.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$8.24 ¥1,301

31.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.61 ¥96.7

34.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.46 ¥231

10.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.51 ¥239

-59.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$58.6 ¥9,251

-49.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.19 ¥504

-33.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$3.14 ¥496

-86.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$26.15 ¥4,132

-65.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.10 ¥173

20.91%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$20.1K ¥3.2M

-5.47%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$16.2K ¥2.6M

15.37%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$93.7 ¥14.8K

-38.30%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$18.72 ¥2,957

-56.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$42.27 ¥6,679

-75.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$51.6 ¥8,144

27.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$12.83 ¥2,026

-30.24%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$316 ¥50.0K

346.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$6,027 ¥952.2K

362.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$48.65 ¥7,686

10.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$19.13 ¥3,023

93.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$46.59 ¥7,360

59.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$65.4 ¥10.3K

61.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$527 ¥83.2K

100.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$327 ¥51.6K

79.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,124 ¥177.5K

121.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$724 ¥114.4K

70.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$4,602 ¥727.0K

202.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,885 ¥297.8K

231.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,263 ¥199.5K

35.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.28

47.37%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Toyohashi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Toyohashi

$327 30.1% 44.2% $258

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Toyohashi

$238 21.9% 1.3% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Toyohashi

$81 7.5% 33.6% $41

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Toyohashi

$126 11.6% 18.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Toyohashi

$77 7.1% 7.7% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Toyohashi

$155 14.2% 103% $78

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Toyohashi

$83 7.7% 131% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $527 in Toyohashi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 35% 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 $31.00 in Toyohashi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $238 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Toyohashi

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

18:17 6:17 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

374,589

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Toyohashi 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Toyohashi

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 Toyohashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Toyohashi differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $1,086 including rent). Toyohashi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $527 in Toyohashi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,414 in Shanghai versus $316 in Toyohashi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Shanghai pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,086 in Toyohashi versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Toyohashi but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Toyohashi 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 Toyohashi 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 Toyohashi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.