Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Xuzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Xuzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,212 in Shanghai versus $585 in Xuzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,973 in Shanghai versus $903 in Xuzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,733 in Shanghai versus $1,222 in Xuzhou.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 107% more expensive than in Xuzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 9% lower, Xuzhou 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.00 ¥33.73

$2.08 ¥14.03

140.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.98 ¥243

$13.49 ¥91.0

166.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 ¥37.34

$4.93 ¥33.23

12.37%

Cappuccino

$3.53 ¥23.81

$2.17 ¥14.62

62.67%

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

$0.57 ¥3.86

$0.45 ¥3.02

26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.26

$0.26 ¥1.76

26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 ¥9.45

$0.87 ¥5.87

60.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ¥18.63

$1.42 ¥9.56

94.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ¥14.76

$1.77 ¥11.97

23.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 ¥12.10

$0.99 ¥6.70

80.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.45

$0.75 ¥5.09

46.67%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.24

$1.03 ¥6.94

62.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 ¥103

$9.35 ¥63.1

62.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 ¥20.82

$1.43 ¥9.61

116.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 ¥74.9

$7.76 ¥52.3

43.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ¥15.85

$1.68 ¥11.32

39.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.82

$0.99 ¥6.67

76.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.98

$0.87 ¥5.84

104.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

$0.93 ¥6.24

56.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.41

$0.48 ¥3.21

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.46

$0.66 ¥4.42

68.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.31

$0.43 ¥2.93

48.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.02

$0.42 ¥2.80

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 ¥19.19

$2.71 ¥18.28

5.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 ¥79.0

$5.76 ¥38.82

103.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.41

$0.40 ¥2.72

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.92

$0.88 ¥5.91

84.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.27 ¥1.80

51.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.37 ¥232

$16.85 ¥114

103.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ¥14.75

$1.30 ¥8.76

68.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.32 ¥2.19

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ¥54.7

$8.15 ¥55.0

-0.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥7.33

$1.12 ¥7.57

-2.68%

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

$19.8K ¥133.7K

$16.5K ¥111.5K

19.86%

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

$17.8K ¥119.9K

$14.1K ¥95.2K

25.86%

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

$52.5 ¥354

$43.37 ¥293

20.94%

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

$8.46 ¥57.1

$3.93 ¥26.51

115.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.57 ¥91.5

$8.89 ¥60.0

52.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.06 ¥311

$41.57 ¥280

10.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.95 ¥135

$13.80 ¥93.1

44.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ¥55.7

$4.82 ¥32.49

71.16%

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

$1,280 ¥8,636

$278 ¥1,872

361.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K ¥210.0K

$18.6K ¥125.6K

67.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ¥400

$28.36 ¥191

109.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.99 ¥256

$20.69 ¥140

83.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 ¥521

$42.01 ¥283

83.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.9 ¥654

$48.97 ¥330

97.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 ¥6,380

$211 ¥1,420

349.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,740

$188 ¥1,266

195.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 ¥16.6K

$414 ¥2,795

492.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ¥8,097

$364 ¥2,456

229.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.1K ¥95.2K

$2,180 ¥14.7K

547.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,646 ¥44.8K

$1,688 ¥11.4K

293.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,741 ¥11.7K

$943 ¥6,360

84.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.87

-7.49%

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

Last update for Shanghai: July 26, 2026

Last update for Xuzhou: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $946 in Shanghai and $211 in Xuzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 85% 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: $36.00 in Shanghai vs $13.00 in Xuzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $140 per month, with Xuzhou cheaper across the board.

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

Shanghai and Xuzhou differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($1,212 vs $585 including rent). Xuzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 85% 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: $946 in Shanghai versus $211 in Xuzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,280 in Shanghai versus $278 in Xuzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $585 in Xuzhou versus $1,212 in Shanghai, a $1,000 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.

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 Xuzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.