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: $1,209 in Shanghai versus $734 in Yantai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,979 in Shanghai versus $1,151 in Yantai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Shanghai versus $1,567 in Yantai.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 65% more expensive than Yantai, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Yantai 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.90 ¥33.19

$3.31 ¥22.42

48.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.30 ¥246

$18.05 ¥122

101.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ¥37.86

$4.56 ¥30.87

22.59%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ¥24.04

$3.43 ¥23.23

3.50%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$0.48 ¥3.24

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.46

$0.29 ¥1.96

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ¥9.67

$0.88 ¥5.94

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ¥19.26

$2.14 ¥14.49

33.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ¥14.61

$1.95 ¥13.20

10.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$1.48 ¥10.04

20.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.42

$0.63 ¥4.28

74.60%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.44

$1.30 ¥8.79

30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.30 ¥104

$14.84 ¥100

3.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥21.14

$4.23 ¥28.62

-26.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ¥72.8

$7.48 ¥50.6

43.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ¥15.30

$1.37 ¥9.26

64.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ¥11.32

$0.89 ¥6.00

87.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.17

$1.22 ¥8.23

47.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.36

$1.05 ¥7.12

45.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.46

$0.73 ¥4.96

10.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.53

$1.08 ¥7.29

2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.61

$0.60 ¥4.07

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.47 ¥3.18

19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ¥19.20

$3.99 ¥27.04

-28.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 ¥78.6

$14.38 ¥97.4

-19.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.32

$1.04 ¥7.04

-24.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.07

$1.58 ¥10.67

3.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.27 ¥1.81

59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.41 ¥233

$16.62 ¥113

107.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ¥14.93

$1.40 ¥9.50

57.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.22 ¥1.48

72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 ¥56.7

$5.97 ¥40.42

40.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.71

$1.12 ¥7.56

1.79%

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

$19.5K ¥132.3K

$20.1K ¥136.2K

-2.92%

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

$18.1K ¥122.9K

$13.4K ¥90.7K

35.50%

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

$52.8 ¥357

$51.7 ¥350

2.15%

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

$8.53 ¥57.8

$10.98 ¥74.3

-22.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 ¥93.7

$10.55 ¥71.4

31.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.02 ¥318

$27.70 ¥187

69.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.81 ¥134

$6.81 ¥46.06

190.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 ¥57.3

$4.92 ¥33.33

71.95%

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

$1,303 ¥8,817

$333 ¥2,254

291.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K ¥213.7K

$23.5K ¥159.1K

34.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥403

$77.8 ¥527

-23.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥258

$38.62 ¥261

-1.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ¥533

$80.9 ¥548

-2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 ¥672

$99.6 ¥674

-0.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,313

$140 ¥949

565.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 ¥3,858

$188 ¥1,272

203.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 ¥16.9K

$389 ¥2,635

539.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ¥8,070

$366 ¥2,476

225.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥94.7K

$3,186 ¥21.6K

339.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,729 ¥45.5K

$6,534 ¥44.2K

2.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,689 ¥11.4K

$1,106 ¥7,489

52.62%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Yantai: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $933 in Shanghai and $140 in Yantai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 53% 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 $225 vs $202 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 65% in total monthly costs ($1,209 vs $734 including rent). Yantai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shanghai pays 53% 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: $933 in Shanghai versus $140 in Yantai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,303 in Shanghai versus $333 in Yantai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Yantai versus $1,209 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 65% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.