Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Zhangjiagang

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangjiagang: $740 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Zhangjiagang
Learn more

Zhangjiagang Living Index

Jump to prices

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Zhangjiagang

🇨🇳 China

$740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Zhangjiagang

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 Zhangjiagang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $740 in Zhangjiagang.

Shanghai $1,244
Zhangjiagang $740

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $1,149 in Zhangjiagang.

Shanghai $1,999
Zhangjiagang $1,149

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $1,558 in Zhangjiagang.

Shanghai $2,755
Zhangjiagang $1,558

Living in Shanghai is roughly 68% more expensive than in Zhangjiagang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 8% lower, Zhangjiagang 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$3.80 ¥25.42

20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$22.20 ¥148

36.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.98 ¥33.31

5.42%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.04 ¥20.32

7.89%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.49 ¥3.29

16.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.27 ¥1.81

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.51 ¥10.09

-18.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.22 ¥14.84

2.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$2.08 ¥13.89

-11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$2.09 ¥13.95

-6.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$0.84 ¥5.64

22.62%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.36 ¥9.09

22.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$10.64 ¥71.1

59.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$2.93 ¥19.59

8.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$9.12 ¥61.0

41.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$2.04 ¥13.65

9.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.29 ¥8.64

28.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.80 ¥12.03

12.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$1.11 ¥7.39

49.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.90 ¥5.99

-14.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.90 ¥6.03

3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.87 ¥5.80

-27.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.53 ¥3.51

13.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.64 ¥24.37

4.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$13.44 ¥89.9

-19.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.94 ¥6.27

-12.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.56 ¥10.44

3.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.30 ¥1.99

103.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$17.58 ¥118

67.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.76 ¥11.78

19.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.39 ¥2.60

10.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$8.76 ¥58.6

3.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.37 ¥9.14

-2.92%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.2K ¥128.2K

-0.79%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$16.9K ¥112.7K

10.99%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$55.8 ¥373

3.70%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$7.76 ¥51.9

4.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$7.32 ¥48.97

43.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$36.15 ¥242

81.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$16.01 ¥107

11.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$6.07 ¥40.60

47.45%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$418 ¥2,793

238.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$22.3K ¥149.4K

24.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$42.99 ¥287

25.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$34.04 ¥228

8.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$65.7 ¥439

13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$88.5 ¥591

19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$280 ¥1,869

277.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$194 ¥1,295

201.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$719 ¥4,808

245.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$324 ¥2,167

280.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$3,266 ¥21.8K

326.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,685 ¥11.3K

271.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.42

-1.75%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiagang: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Zhangjiagang

$194 26.2% 66.9% $391

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Zhangjiagang

$204 27.6% 13.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Zhangjiagang

$104 14.1% 14.7% $18

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Zhangjiagang

$97 13.1% 8.6% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Zhangjiagang

$48 6.5% 42.2% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Zhangjiagang

$71 9.6% 7.2% $5.5

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Zhangjiagang

$22 3% 37.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $280 in Zhangjiagang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $22.00 in Zhangjiagang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $204 per month, with Zhangjiagang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Zhangjiagang

🕒 Local time

12:27 12:27 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

1,432,044

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Zhangjiagang 110 km

From you

Shanghai
Zhangjiagang

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 Zhangjiagang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Zhangjiagang differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $740 including rent). Zhangjiagang 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 $1,110 in Zhangjiagang 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $280 in Zhangjiagang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,414 in Shanghai versus $418 in Zhangjiagang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $740 in Zhangjiagang versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhangjiagang but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.