Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Yantai Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Yantai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,192 in Shanghai versus $734 in Yantai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,958 in Shanghai versus $1,179 in Yantai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,724 in Shanghai versus $1,625 in Yantai.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 63% more expensive than in Yantai, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 11% lower, Yantai 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ¥31.92

$3.29 ¥22.23

43.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.92 ¥243

$18.30 ¥124

96.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 ¥38.75

$4.47 ¥30.22

28.41%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ¥23.76

$3.32 ¥22.46

6.02%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$0.47 ¥3.19

21.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.25

$0.29 ¥1.96

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ¥9.18

$0.85 ¥5.75

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ¥19.17

$2.04 ¥13.77

39.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ¥14.18

$1.99 ¥13.43

5.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ¥12.13

$1.53 ¥10.34

17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.12

$0.69 ¥4.67

52.17%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.33

$1.30 ¥8.81

29.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.78 ¥107

$14.62 ¥98.8

7.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ¥21.39

$4.27 ¥28.87

-25.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 ¥74.5

$7.60 ¥51.4

45.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ¥16.05

$1.38 ¥9.30

72.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.45

$0.90 ¥6.06

87.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.05

$1.24 ¥8.35

43.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.82

$1.06 ¥7.13

36.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.63

$0.70 ¥4.74

18.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.62

$1.09 ¥7.36

3.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$0.64 ¥4.33

6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.05

$0.50 ¥3.38

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.03

$3.91 ¥26.43

-27.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 ¥79.3

$14.54 ¥98.2

-19.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.27

$0.99 ¥6.70

-21.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.62

$1.59 ¥10.71

-1.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.29 ¥1.98

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.05 ¥237

$16.48 ¥111

112.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ¥15.26

$1.41 ¥9.50

60.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.52

$0.22 ¥1.48

68.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.18 ¥55.3

$6.19 ¥41.80

32.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$1.11 ¥7.52

3.60%

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

$19.3K ¥130.3K

$20.2K ¥136.6K

-4.56%

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

$17.7K ¥119.8K

$13.3K ¥89.9K

33.26%

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

$53.0 ¥358

$51.8 ¥350

2.37%

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

$8.77 ¥59.3

$10.66 ¥72.1

-17.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.78 ¥93.1

$10.63 ¥71.8

29.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.42 ¥307

$27.36 ¥185

66.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥135

$7.09 ¥47.94

182.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.30 ¥56.1

$5.01 ¥33.83

65.67%

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

$1,264 ¥8,542

$329 ¥2,225

283.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K ¥214.0K

$24.1K ¥162.6K

31.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 ¥390

$77.3 ¥522

-25.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 ¥256

$38.40 ¥259

-1.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥520

$81.4 ¥550

-5.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 ¥654

$99.4 ¥672

-2.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 ¥6,456

$137 ¥923

599.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,749

$189 ¥1,278

193.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 ¥16.9K

$384 ¥2,596

550.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ¥8,154

$353 ¥2,388

241.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.3K ¥96.6K

$3,157 ¥21.3K

352.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,625 ¥44.8K

$6,409 ¥43.3K

3.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,702 ¥11.5K

$1,117 ¥7,548

52.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.81

-6.04%

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

Last update for Shanghai: July 11, 2026

Last update for Yantai: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $955 in Shanghai and $137 in Yantai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 52% 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 $18.00 in Yantai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $204 per month, with Yantai 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 Yantai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Yantai differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,192 vs $734 including rent). Yantai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 52% 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: $955 in Shanghai versus $137 in Yantai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,264 in Shanghai versus $329 in Yantai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Yantai versus $1,192 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yantai but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Yantai 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 Yantai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.