Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Yangzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Yangzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,212 in Shanghai versus $617 in Yangzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,973 in Shanghai versus $998 in Yangzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,733 in Shanghai versus $1,379 in Yangzhou.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 96% more expensive than in Yangzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 9% lower, Yangzhou 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.00 ¥33.78

$2.03 ¥13.72

146.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.98 ¥243

$15.68 ¥106

129.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 ¥37.39

$3.38 ¥22.85

63.91%

Cappuccino

$3.53 ¥23.85

$2.84 ¥19.20

24.30%

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

$0.57 ¥3.87

$0.50 ¥3.39

14.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.26

$0.19 ¥1.29

73.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 ¥9.46

$0.68 ¥4.58

105.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ¥18.65

$1.70 ¥11.48

62.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ¥14.78

$1.05 ¥7.11

108.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 ¥12.12

$0.81 ¥5.44

120.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.46

$0.96 ¥6.45

14.58%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.26

$1.29 ¥8.70

29.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 ¥103

$5.73 ¥38.71

165.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 ¥20.85

$2.70 ¥18.21

14.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 ¥75.0

$8.72 ¥58.9

27.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ¥15.87

$1.04 ¥7.00

125.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.84

$1.41 ¥9.56

24.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.00

$0.87 ¥5.91

104.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.90

$1.09 ¥7.37

33.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.42

$0.74 ¥4.97

8.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.47

$0.94 ¥6.33

18.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.31

$0.68 ¥4.60

-5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.03

$0.51 ¥3.47

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 ¥19.22

$2.82 ¥19.06

1.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 ¥79.1

$11.92 ¥80.5

-1.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.41

$0.70 ¥4.76

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.93

$1.35 ¥9.15

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.30 ¥2.00

36.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.37 ¥232

$16.76 ¥113

105.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ¥14.77

$1.43 ¥9.66

53.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.35 ¥2.38

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ¥54.8

$3.33 ¥22.47

143.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥7.34

$1.13 ¥7.66

-3.54%

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

$19.8K ¥133.8K

$19.4K ¥130.8K

2.32%

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

$17.8K ¥120.0K

$17.2K ¥116.5K

3.07%

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

$52.5 ¥354

$43.98 ¥297

19.26%

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

$8.46 ¥57.2

$7.88 ¥53.2

7.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.57 ¥91.6

$11.53 ¥77.9

17.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.06 ¥311

$41.88 ¥283

9.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.95 ¥135

$14.04 ¥94.8

42.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ¥55.7

$6.21 ¥41.91

32.85%

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

$1,280 ¥8,648

$459 ¥3,099

179.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K ¥210.3K

$7,079 ¥47.8K

339.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ¥400

$56.3 ¥380

5.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.99 ¥257

$34.49 ¥233

10.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 ¥521

$70.5 ¥476

9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.9 ¥655

$83.0 ¥560

16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 ¥6,390

$240 ¥1,618

294.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,746

$154 ¥1,037

261.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 ¥16.6K

$548 ¥3,701

348.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ¥8,109

$356 ¥2,402

237.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.1K ¥95.3K

$2,521 ¥17.0K

459.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,646 ¥44.9K

$1,769 ¥12.0K

275.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,741 ¥11.8K

$1,243 ¥8,397

40.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.1

15.48%

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

Last update for Shanghai: July 26, 2026

Last update for Yangzhou: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $946 in Shanghai and $240 in Yangzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 40% 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 $16.00 in Yangzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $150 per month, with Yangzhou 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 Yangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Yangzhou differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($1,212 vs $617 including rent). Yangzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 40% 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 $240 in Yangzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,280 in Shanghai versus $459 in Yangzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $617 in Yangzhou versus $1,212 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yangzhou but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Yangzhou 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 Yangzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.