Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Yamaguchi

For one person, living costs are similar in Shanghai and in Yamaguchi: $1,244 and $1,200 a month, rent and utilities included.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Yamaguchi
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Yamaguchi Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Yamaguchi

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Yamaguchi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,200 in Yamaguchi.

Shanghai $1,244
Yamaguchi $1,200

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,848 in Yamaguchi.

Shanghai $1,999
Yamaguchi $1,848

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $2,496 in Yamaguchi.

Shanghai $2,755
Yamaguchi $2,496

Living in Shanghai is roughly 4% more expensive than in Yamaguchi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Yamaguchi 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$3.75 ¥593

21.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$32.14 ¥5,077

-6.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.91 ¥776

6.92%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.75 ¥593

-12.53%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.04 ¥164

-45.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.71 ¥111

-49.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$3.86 ¥609

-68.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.17 ¥342

4.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.54 ¥244

19.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.82 ¥288

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$6.56 ¥1,037

-84.30%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.25 ¥356

-25.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$17.95 ¥2,836

-5.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$5.31 ¥840

-39.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$18.56 ¥2,932

-30.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$3.64 ¥575

-38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.82 ¥287

-8.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$2.88 ¥455

-29.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$3.39 ¥535

-51.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.16 ¥341

-64.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.62 ¥414

-64.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.02 ¥161

-38.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.98 ¥155

-38.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$4.00 ¥633

-5.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$6.26 ¥989

73.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.65 ¥261

-50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.83 ¥289

-12.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.50 ¥237

-59.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$56.6 ¥8,945

-48.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.83 ¥605

-44.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$2.07 ¥327

-79.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$18.10 ¥2,860

-49.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.10 ¥174

20.91%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$21.5K ¥3.4M

-11.69%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$17.1K ¥2.7M

9.08%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$215 ¥33.9K

-73.09%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$24.86 ¥3,928

-67.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$33.35 ¥5,269

-68.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$58.0 ¥9,155

13.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$10.81 ¥1,709

-17.21%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$124 ¥19.6K

1040.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$12.1K ¥1.9M

130.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$48.93 ¥7,731

10.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$26.28 ¥4,151

41.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$66.7 ¥10.5K

11.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$47.51 ¥7,506

122.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$404 ¥63.8K

161.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$250 ¥39.5K

133.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$790 ¥124.8K

214.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$566 ¥89.5K

117.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$4,432 ¥700.2K

214.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,970 ¥311.3K

217.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

1.97

70.56%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Yamaguchi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Yamaguchi

$250 20.8% 57.2% $335

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Yamaguchi

$315 26.2% 34% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Yamaguchi

$85 7.1% 30.1% $37

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Yamaguchi

$120 10% 13.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Yamaguchi

$80 6.6% 4.8% $4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Yamaguchi

$273 22.8% 258% $197

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Yamaguchi

$77 6.4% 113% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $404 in Yamaguchi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $32.00 in Yamaguchi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $315 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Yamaguchi

🕒 Local time

23:06 11:06 PM

00:06 12:06 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

193,966

💱 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 →

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Shanghai Yamaguchi 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Yamaguchi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Yamaguchi differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $1,200 including rent). Yamaguchi 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 $1,800 in Yamaguchi 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 $404 in Yamaguchi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,414 in Shanghai versus $124 in Yamaguchi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Shanghai pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,200 in Yamaguchi versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yamaguchi but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Yamaguchi 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 Yamaguchi 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 Yamaguchi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.