Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Yancheng Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Yancheng

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,219 in Shanghai versus $695 in Yancheng.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,966 in Shanghai versus $1,120 in Yancheng.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,713 in Shanghai versus $1,545 in Yancheng.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 76% more expensive than in Yancheng, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 11% lower, Yancheng 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 ¥30.25

$1.98 ¥13.27

128.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.28 ¥196

$24.30 ¥163

20.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.26 ¥35.25

$2.98 ¥19.93

76.51%

Cappuccino

$3.18 ¥21.30

$3.02 ¥20.20

5.30%

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

$0.62 ¥4.12

$0.39 ¥2.60

58.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$0.23 ¥1.55

56.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$1.45 ¥9.73

-19.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ¥18.33

$3.06 ¥20.47

-10.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ¥12.75

$1.84 ¥12.30

3.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 ¥12.69

$2.17 ¥14.53

-12.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.86

$1.08 ¥7.24

-5.56%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥10.89

$1.84 ¥12.29

-11.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.20 ¥115

$13.69 ¥91.7

25.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 ¥21.19

$3.42 ¥22.93

-7.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 ¥87.9

$11.05 ¥74.0

18.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.25

$2.72 ¥18.24

-21.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.12

$1.30 ¥8.68

39.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ¥13.25

$1.63 ¥10.90

21.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ¥10.75

$1.16 ¥7.75

38.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.18

$0.63 ¥4.23

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.05

$0.86 ¥5.76

4.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.40

$0.58 ¥3.89

13.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.55 ¥3.66

10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.41

$5.30 ¥35.49

-28.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 ¥69.4

$11.99 ¥80.3

-13.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥5.88

$0.93 ¥6.26

-5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ¥10.40

$2.17 ¥14.52

-28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.94

$0.30 ¥2.00

96.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.00 ¥201

$20.42 ¥137

46.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 ¥14.49

$1.47 ¥9.82

46.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.42 ¥2.84

2.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 ¥60.5

$8.98 ¥60.2

0.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.47

$1.24 ¥8.31

1.61%

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

$19.4K ¥130.2K

$19.1K ¥128.0K

1.78%

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

$18.7K ¥125.2K

$18.9K ¥126.4K

-0.97%

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

$57.5 ¥385

$36.01 ¥241

59.79%

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

$8.41 ¥56.3

$11.47 ¥76.8

-26.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.08 ¥67.5

$11.19 ¥74.9

-9.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 ¥437

$36.96 ¥248

76.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$15.60 ¥104

10.83%

Cinema Ticket

$8.98 ¥60.1

$6.09 ¥40.76

47.45%

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

$1,411 ¥9,449

$431 ¥2,883

227.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥189.1K

$16.5K ¥110.3K

71.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 ¥348

$35.63 ¥239

45.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.39 ¥250

$21.27 ¥142

75.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 ¥493

$64.6 ¥432

14.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ¥704

$44.18 ¥296

137.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$982 ¥6,572

$286 ¥1,912

243.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 ¥3,785

$192 ¥1,284

194.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,419 ¥16.2K

$514 ¥3,439

370.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 ¥7,805

$350 ¥2,344

233.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K ¥91.6K

$3,227 ¥21.6K

323.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,118 ¥41.0K

$1,907 ¥12.8K

220.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 ¥11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.13

7.99%

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

Last update for Shanghai: September 14, 2026

Last update for Yancheng: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $982 in Shanghai and $286 in Yancheng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29.00 in Shanghai vs $24.00 in Yancheng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $222 per month, with Yancheng 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 Yancheng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Yancheng differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($1,219 vs $695 including rent). Yancheng is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,829 in Shanghai and $1,042 in Yancheng 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: $982 in Shanghai versus $286 in Yancheng. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,411 in Shanghai versus $431 in Yancheng. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $695 in Yancheng versus $1,219 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Yancheng but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Yancheng 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 Yancheng gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.