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: $1,206 in Shanghai versus $616 in Yangzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,958 in Shanghai versus $996 in Yangzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,710 in Shanghai versus $1,376 in Yangzhou.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Yangzhou 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.75 ¥32.12

$2.11 ¥14.27

125.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 ¥246

$15.58 ¥105

133.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 ¥36.62

$3.47 ¥23.45

56.20%

Cappuccino

$3.54 ¥23.97

$2.90 ¥19.60

22.07%

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

$0.54 ¥3.67

$0.51 ¥3.47

5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.26

$0.18 ¥1.20

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 ¥9.61

$0.73 ¥4.95

94.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ¥18.73

$1.64 ¥11.07

68.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 ¥14.11

$1.02 ¥6.89

104.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 ¥12.52

$0.87 ¥5.87

112.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.22

$0.93 ¥6.30

15.05%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.45

$1.27 ¥8.61

33.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.46 ¥105

$5.64 ¥38.11

174.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.74

$2.70 ¥18.28

19.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 ¥73.1

$8.70 ¥58.9

24.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 ¥15.35

$1.09 ¥7.35

108.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.78

$1.41 ¥9.53

23.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ¥11.57

$0.89 ¥6.03

92.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ¥10.20

$1.08 ¥7.31

39.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.80

$0.72 ¥4.89

19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$0.91 ¥6.18

26.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.55

$0.68 ¥4.57

-1.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.73

$0.55 ¥3.72

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 ¥18.64

$2.84 ¥19.20

-2.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.94 ¥80.7

$9.67 ¥65.4

23.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.35

$0.75 ¥5.09

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.63

$1.36 ¥9.20

15.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.29 ¥1.99

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.46 ¥240

$16.88 ¥114

110.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 ¥14.75

$1.37 ¥9.27

59.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.76

$0.33 ¥2.21

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 ¥56.6

$3.24 ¥21.94

158.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥7.42

$1.18 ¥8.00

-6.78%

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

$19.4K ¥130.9K

$19.1K ¥129.3K

1.20%

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

$18.0K ¥121.9K

$17.4K ¥117.5K

3.77%

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

$52.7 ¥356

$44.51 ¥301

18.36%

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

$8.84 ¥59.8

$7.69 ¥52.0

14.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.62 ¥92.1

$11.53 ¥78.0

18.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.97 ¥318

$41.74 ¥282

12.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.24 ¥137

$14.18 ¥95.9

42.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 ¥56.8

$6.09 ¥41.21

37.93%

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

$1,274 ¥8,617

$444 ¥3,002

187.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ¥209.3K

$7,102 ¥48.0K

335.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ¥394

$57.0 ¥385

2.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.30 ¥252

$35.16 ¥238

6.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 ¥528

$68.5 ¥463

13.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.5 ¥660

$82.8 ¥560

17.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 ¥6,361

$241 ¥1,627

291.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 ¥3,827

$152 ¥1,028

272.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 ¥17.2K

$555 ¥3,750

357.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 ¥7,976

$359 ¥2,425

228.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.4K ¥97.3K

$2,532 ¥17.1K

468.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,836 ¥46.2K

$1,796 ¥12.1K

280.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,653 ¥11.2K

$1,249 ¥8,443

32.40%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Yangzhou: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $941 in Shanghai and $241 in Yangzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 32% 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 $146 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 ($1,206 vs $616 including rent). Yangzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shanghai pays 32% more on average, 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: $941 in Shanghai versus $241 in Yangzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,274 in Shanghai versus $444 in Yangzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $616 in Yangzhou versus $1,206 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.