Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Wonju

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,526 in Wonju, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Wonju despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Wonju
Learn more

Wonju Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Wonju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Wonju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,526 in Wonju.

Shanghai $1,244
Wonju $1,526

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $2,418 in Wonju.

Shanghai $1,999
Wonju $2,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $3,309 in Wonju.

Shanghai $2,755
Wonju $3,309

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 19% less than in Wonju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 8% below, Wonju is 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.43

$7.45 ₩9,900

-38.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$48.19 ₩64.1K

-37.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.08

$6.69 ₩8,892

-21.52%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.91

$3.65 ₩4,859

-10.14%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.79 ₩2,381

-68.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$1.45 ₩1,923

-75.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$3.70 ₩4,926

-66.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.16

$4.32 ₩5,740

-47.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.28

$2.25 ₩2,998

-18.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.06

$3.20 ₩4,252

-38.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.86

$3.08 ₩4,095

-66.56%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.15

$2.69 ₩3,579

-37.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$10.93 ₩14.5K

55.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.30

$10.41 ₩13.8K

-69.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.1

$24.90 ₩33.1K

-48.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$11.04 ₩14.7K

-79.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.12

$3.54 ₩4,712

-53.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.52

$7.98 ₩10.6K

-74.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$6.04 ₩8,034

-72.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$5.80 ₩7,718

-86.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$3.40 ₩4,527

-72.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.18

$2.86 ₩3,807

-77.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$1.29 ₩1,711

-53.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.40

$3.42 ₩4,550

11.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.6

$18.38 ₩24.4K

-40.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.50

$2.35 ₩3,131

-65.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.75

$3.39 ₩4,513

-52.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.10 ₩1,467

-44.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥196

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.09

$3.63 ₩4,825

-41.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$0.71 ₩950

-39.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.5

$16.85 ₩22.4K

-46.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.88

$1.25 ₩1,656

6.40%

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

$19.0K ¥127.0K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-35.33%

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

$18.7K ¥124.9K

$33.6K ₩44.7M

-44.37%

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

$57.8 ¥386

$196 ₩260.7K

-70.52%

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

$8.09 ¥54.0

$35.94 ₩47.8K

-77.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥69.9

$26.92 ₩35.8K

-61.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$52.6 ₩69.9K

24.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$12.15 ₩16.2K

46.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.8

$11.79 ₩15.7K

-24.09%

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

$1,414 ¥9,438

$491 ₩652.3K

188.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.0K

$21.9K ₩29.1M

27.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥360

$104 ₩138.1K

-48.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$64.1 ₩85.2K

-42.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$92.1 ₩122.5K

-19.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥705

$129 ₩171.3K

-18.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,046

$494 ₩657.0K

113.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,904

$359 ₩477.3K

62.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,181 ₩1.6M

110.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,228

$744 ₩988.6K

65.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.0K

$7,157 ₩9.5M

94.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.7K

$5,494 ₩7.3M

13.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

4.22

-20.38%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Wonju: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Wonju

$359 23.5% 38.6% $226

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Wonju

$482 31.6% 105% $247

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Wonju

$175 11.5% 43.6% $53

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Wonju

$164 10.7% 54.3% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Wonju

$76 5% 8.9% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Wonju

$259 17% 239% $183

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Wonju

$12 * 0.8% 67.8% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $494 in Wonju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $48.00 in Wonju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $482 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇷 Wonju

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

14:47 2:47 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

340,196

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Wonju 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Wonju

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 Wonju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Wonju differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $1,526 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,865 in Shanghai and $2,290 in Wonju to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $494 in Wonju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% higher in Wonju. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,244 per month in Shanghai versus $1,526 in Wonju – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,526 in Wonju, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Wonju. 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 Wonju 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 23% less than in Wonju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.