Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Zhangjiagang Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Zhangjiagang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,209 in Shanghai versus $758 in Zhangjiagang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,979 in Shanghai versus $1,225 in Zhangjiagang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Shanghai versus $1,693 in Zhangjiagang.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 60% more expensive than Zhangjiagang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Zhangjiagang 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.90 ¥33.21

$3.53 ¥23.93

38.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.30 ¥246

$26.84 ¥182

35.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ¥37.88

$4.93 ¥33.40

13.39%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ¥24.06

$3.36 ¥22.78

5.65%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$0.48 ¥3.25

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.46

$0.27 ¥1.81

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ¥9.67

$1.14 ¥7.72

25.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ¥19.27

$1.62 ¥11.00

75.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ¥14.62

$2.05 ¥13.90

5.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ¥12.04

$1.88 ¥12.76

-5.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.43

$0.93 ¥6.28

18.28%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.45

$1.72 ¥11.65

-1.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.30 ¥104

$16.72 ¥113

-8.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥21.15

$2.69 ¥18.25

15.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ¥72.9

$9.60 ¥65.0

12.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ¥15.31

$2.05 ¥13.86

10.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ¥11.33

$1.82 ¥12.33

-8.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.18

$1.57 ¥10.66

14.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.36

$1.27 ¥8.58

20.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.47

$0.76 ¥5.17

6.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.53

$1.00 ¥6.80

11.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.62

$0.66 ¥4.49

3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.49 ¥3.29

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ¥19.22

$4.19 ¥28.39

-32.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 ¥78.6

$13.39 ¥90.7

-13.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.32

$0.70 ¥4.77

12.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.08

$1.69 ¥11.47

-2.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.27 ¥1.81

59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.41 ¥233

$16.39 ¥111

109.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ¥14.94

$1.83 ¥12.39

20.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.26 ¥1.74

46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 ¥56.7

$6.19 ¥41.91

35.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.72

$1.17 ¥7.89

-2.56%

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

$19.5K ¥132.3K

$19.3K ¥130.6K

1.31%

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

$18.1K ¥122.9K

$16.9K ¥114.6K

7.26%

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

$52.8 ¥358

$44.95 ¥304

17.49%

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

$8.53 ¥57.8

$11.54 ¥78.1

-26.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 ¥93.7

$11.33 ¥76.7

22.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.02 ¥318

$41.21 ¥279

14.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.81 ¥134

$14.01 ¥94.9

41.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 ¥57.3

$6.44 ¥43.61

31.37%

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

$1,303 ¥8,823

$446 ¥3,019

192.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K ¥213.8K

$16.8K ¥113.9K

87.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥404

$56.3 ¥381

5.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥258

$35.39 ¥240

7.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ¥534

$71.9 ¥487

9.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 ¥672

$90.7 ¥614

9.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,317

$278 ¥1,881

235.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 ¥3,861

$185 ¥1,251

208.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 ¥16.9K

$581 ¥3,937

328.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ¥8,075

$356 ¥2,413

234.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥94.7K

$3,371 ¥22.8K

314.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,729 ¥45.6K

$1,789 ¥12.1K

276.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,689 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.83

-6.53%

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

Last update for Shanghai: June 2, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiagang: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $933 in Shanghai and $278 in Zhangjiagang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Shanghai vs $27.00 in Zhangjiagang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $223 per month, with Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Zhangjiagang differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,209 vs $758 including rent). Zhangjiagang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,814 in Shanghai and $1,136 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: $933 in Shanghai versus $278 in Zhangjiagang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,303 in Shanghai versus $446 in Zhangjiagang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $758 in Zhangjiagang versus $1,209 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 60% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.