Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Xuzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Xuzhou: $607 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Xuzhou
Learn more

Xuzhou Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Xuzhou

🇨🇳 China

$607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Xuzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Shanghai versus $607 in Xuzhou.

Shanghai $1,222
Xuzhou $607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,971 in Shanghai versus $977 in Xuzhou.

Shanghai $1,971
Xuzhou $977

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,720 in Shanghai versus $1,347 in Xuzhou.

Shanghai $2,720
Xuzhou $1,347

Living in Shanghai is roughly 101% more expensive than in Xuzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Xuzhou 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$2.27 ¥15.13

99.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$14.37 ¥95.6

109.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.03

$5.00 ¥33.24

2.20%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.70

$2.39 ¥15.91

42.68%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.53 ¥3.54

9.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.25 ¥1.65

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$1.48 ¥9.84

-16.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$1.46 ¥9.72

58.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.52

$1.92 ¥12.79

-2.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$2.18 ¥14.49

-11.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$0.61 ¥4.08

60.66%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.31

$1.20 ¥7.96

41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$10.61 ¥70.6

60.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$1.54 ¥10.26

109.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$8.43 ¥56.1

53.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$1.88 ¥12.51

14.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$1.08 ¥7.20

60.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$0.94 ¥6.22

115.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.02 ¥6.77

69.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.51 ¥3.37

62.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.69 ¥4.57

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.64 ¥4.26

4.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.44 ¥2.95

34.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.10

$2.95 ¥19.64

27.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$5.84 ¥38.88

88.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$0.43 ¥2.89

109.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$0.92 ¥6.15

73.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.29 ¥1.93

96.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$19.12 ¥127

54.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$1.45 ¥9.66

47.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.36 ¥2.39

30.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$8.84 ¥58.8

-1.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.16 ¥7.73

15.52%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$18.0K ¥119.9K

6.84%

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

$18.3K ¥121.6K

$15.0K ¥99.5K

22.21%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$45.82 ¥305

28.55%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$7.78 ¥51.8

1.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$3.80 ¥25.31

178.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$41.69 ¥277

55.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$16.64 ¥111

4.99%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$5.20 ¥34.57

74.23%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$436 ¥2,902

263.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$22.8K ¥151.6K

23.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$29.86 ¥199

82.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$22.86 ¥152

62.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$44.62 ¥297

67.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$53.2 ¥354

99.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,825

$226 ¥1,505

353.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,721

$167 ¥1,111

234.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$448 ¥2,980

484.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,926

$361 ¥2,399

230.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$2,140 ¥14.2K

524.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$1,721 ¥11.5K

279.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

$931 ¥6,195

83.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.42

-1.75%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Xuzhou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Xuzhou

$167 27.5% 70.1% $392

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Xuzhou

$164 27.1% 30.5% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Xuzhou

$68 11.2% 44.8% $55

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Xuzhou

$75 12.4% 29.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Xuzhou

$52 8.6% 37.2% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Xuzhou

$57 9.5% 25.8% $20

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Xuzhou

$24 3.9% 35.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,026 in Shanghai and $226 in Xuzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 84% 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 in Shanghai vs $14 in Xuzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $164 per month, with Xuzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Xuzhou

🕒 Local time

15:02 3:02 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

9,083,790

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shanghai Xuzhou 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min 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 Xuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,222 in Shanghai and $607 in Xuzhou, so Xuzhou is about 50% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 84% 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: $1,026 in Shanghai versus $226 in Xuzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,587 in Shanghai versus $436 in Xuzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $607 in Xuzhou versus $1,222 in Shanghai, a $800 budget is realistic in Xuzhou but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Xuzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Xuzhou is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Shanghai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Xuzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.