Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Yongin

For one person, living is cheaper in Yongin: $1,039 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shanghai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Yongin
Learn more

Yongin Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Yongin

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,039

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Yongin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shanghai and in Yongin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,039 in Yongin.

Shanghai $1,244
Yongin $1,039

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,577 in Yongin.

Shanghai $1,999
Yongin $1,577

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $2,114 in Yongin.

Shanghai $2,755
Yongin $2,114

Living in Shanghai is roughly 20% more expensive than in Yongin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Yongin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$6.12 ₩8,138

-25.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$26.00 ₩34.6K

16.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$6.91 ₩9,186

-24.02%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.61 ₩4,797

-9.14%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.53 ₩2,030

-62.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.62 ₩829

-41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$3.55 ₩4,726

-65.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$4.42 ₩5,871

-48.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.10 ₩1,467

67.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$3.10 ₩4,117

-36.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$2.33 ₩3,099

-55.79%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.39 ₩3,173

-30.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$15.93 ₩21.2K

6.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$8.07 ₩10.7K

-60.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$11.08 ₩14.7K

16.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$7.50 ₩9,967

-70.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$3.18 ₩4,232

-47.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$7.29 ₩9,696

-72.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$7.18 ₩9,547

-76.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$3.44 ₩4,568

-77.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.51 ₩3,340

-62.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$2.01 ₩2,674

-68.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$1.49 ₩1,987

-59.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.43 ₩4,562

10.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$18.75 ₩24.9K

-42.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$2.20 ₩2,924

-62.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.59 ₩4,767

-41.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.61 ₩813

-29.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.40 ₩1,867

-5.00%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$29.0K ₩38.6M

-34.49%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$36.2K ₩48.1M

-48.25%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$214 ₩284.0K

-72.94%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$44.19 ₩58.8K

-81.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$20.83 ₩27.7K

-49.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$53.0 ₩70.4K

24.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$11.16 ₩14.8K

-19.80%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$303 ₩403.4K

365.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$18.1K ₩24.1M

53.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$66.3 ₩88.2K

-18.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$64.7 ₩86.0K

-42.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$74.4 ₩98.9K

-0.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$98.8 ₩131.3K

6.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

4.1

-18.05%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Yongin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Yongin

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Yongin

$394 * 37.9% 67.7% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Yongin

$137 13.2% 12.3% $15

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Yongin

$148 14.3% 39.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Yongin

$75 7.2% 10% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Yongin

$279 26.8% 265% $202

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Yongin

$6.6 * 0.6% 81.6% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $26.00 in Yongin. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $394, with Shanghai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇷 Yongin

🕒 Local time

04:01 4:01 AM

05:01 5:01 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

1,004,081

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Shanghai Yongin 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Yongin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Yongin differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $1,039 including rent). Yongin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,865 in Shanghai and $1,559 in Yongin 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.

Shoppers in Shanghai pay roughly 68% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,244 per month in Shanghai versus $1,039 in Yongin – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,039 in Yongin versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yongin but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Yongin 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.

Safety-wise, Shanghai and Yongin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Yongin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.