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: $1,212 in Shanghai versus $709 in Yancheng.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,973 in Shanghai versus $1,129 in Yancheng.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,733 in Shanghai versus $1,550 in Yancheng.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 71% more expensive than in Yancheng, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 9% lower, Yancheng 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.00 ¥33.76

$2.94 ¥19.85

70.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.98 ¥243

$20.51 ¥138

75.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 ¥37.37

$3.90 ¥26.36

42.05%

Cappuccino

$3.53 ¥23.83

$3.04 ¥20.54

16.12%

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

$0.57 ¥3.87

$0.39 ¥2.66

46.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.26

$0.25 ¥1.69

32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 ¥9.46

$0.89 ¥5.99

57.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ¥18.64

$2.15 ¥14.52

28.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ¥14.77

$1.83 ¥12.38

19.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 ¥12.11

$1.60 ¥10.83

11.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.46

$0.89 ¥5.99

23.60%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.25

$1.63 ¥11.02

2.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 ¥103

$12.76 ¥86.1

19.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 ¥20.84

$3.19 ¥21.56

-3.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 ¥75.0

$10.40 ¥70.2

6.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ¥15.86

$1.78 ¥12.04

32.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.83

$1.21 ¥8.15

44.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.99

$1.36 ¥9.19

30.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.89

$1.13 ¥7.61

29.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.42

$0.68 ¥4.56

17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.47

$0.96 ¥6.49

15.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.31

$0.61 ¥4.09

4.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.02

$0.52 ¥3.48

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 ¥19.21

$3.11 ¥21.02

-8.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 ¥79.1

$11.15 ¥75.2

5.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.41

$0.78 ¥5.28

2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.93

$1.61 ¥10.85

0.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.29 ¥1.97

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.37 ¥232

$16.64 ¥112

106.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ¥14.76

$1.37 ¥9.24

59.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.33 ¥2.22

15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ¥54.8

$6.53 ¥44.11

24.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥7.33

$1.12 ¥7.56

-2.68%

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

$19.8K ¥133.8K

$19.6K ¥132.6K

0.88%

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

$17.8K ¥120.0K

$16.6K ¥111.8K

7.31%

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

$52.5 ¥354

$45.68 ¥308

14.82%

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

$8.46 ¥57.1

$9.78 ¥66.0

-13.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.57 ¥91.6

$11.44 ¥77.2

18.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.06 ¥311

$41.92 ¥283

9.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.95 ¥135

$13.72 ¥92.7

45.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ¥55.7

$6.08 ¥41.08

35.69%

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

$1,280 ¥8,643

$334 ¥2,257

282.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K ¥210.2K

$17.1K ¥115.6K

81.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ¥400

$44.00 ¥297

34.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.99 ¥256

$30.67 ¥207

23.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 ¥521

$72.3 ¥488

6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.9 ¥654

$75.0 ¥506

29.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 ¥6,386

$274 ¥1,847

245.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,744

$188 ¥1,270

194.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 ¥16.6K

$590 ¥3,983

316.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ¥8,104

$362 ¥2,445

231.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.1K ¥95.3K

$3,153 ¥21.3K

347.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,646 ¥44.9K

$1,941 ¥13.1K

242.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,741 ¥11.8K

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 Yancheng: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $946 in Shanghai and $274 in Yancheng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Shanghai vs $21.00 in Yancheng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $199 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 71% in total monthly costs ($1,212 vs $709 including rent). Yancheng is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,818 in Shanghai and $1,064 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: $946 in Shanghai versus $274 in Yancheng. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,280 in Shanghai versus $334 in Yancheng. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $709 in Yancheng versus $1,212 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 71% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.