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: $1,194 in Shanghai versus $750 in Zhangjiagang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,972 in Shanghai versus $1,239 in Zhangjiagang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Shanghai versus $1,729 in Zhangjiagang.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 59% more expensive than Zhangjiagang, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 11% lower, Zhangjiagang 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.97 ¥33.95

$3.57 ¥24.37

39.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.17 ¥247

$26.64 ¥182

35.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 ¥37.04

$4.81 ¥32.84

12.68%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ¥24.31

$3.36 ¥22.94

5.95%

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

$0.53 ¥3.64

$0.52 ¥3.57

1.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.28

$0.29 ¥1.99

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 ¥9.23

$1.08 ¥7.38

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ¥18.87

$1.63 ¥11.13

69.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ¥14.54

$2.03 ¥13.88

4.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ¥12.58

$1.93 ¥13.18

-4.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.19

$1.00 ¥6.85

5.00%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.45

$1.79 ¥12.19

-6.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.58 ¥106

$17.19 ¥117

-9.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥22.13

$2.60 ¥17.75

24.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.83 ¥74.0

$9.39 ¥64.2

15.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥16.22

$1.99 ¥13.56

19.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.57

$1.75 ¥11.93

-3.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.27

$1.58 ¥10.78

13.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ¥10.09

$1.26 ¥8.59

17.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.83

$0.76 ¥5.20

11.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.99

$0.92 ¥6.28

27.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.25

$0.67 ¥4.61

-7.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.15

$0.53 ¥3.63

15.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 ¥19.17

$4.07 ¥27.77

-30.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 ¥81.2

$13.40 ¥91.5

-11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.38

$0.70 ¥4.81

12.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.72

$1.64 ¥11.21

-4.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.98

$0.29 ¥2.00

51.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.93 ¥239

$16.72 ¥114

108.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ¥15.33

$1.76 ¥12.03

27.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.59

$0.26 ¥1.77

46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.23 ¥56.2

$6.10 ¥41.63

34.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥7.87

$1.17 ¥8.01

-1.71%

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

$19.9K ¥135.8K

$19.1K ¥130.7K

3.87%

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

$17.8K ¥121.8K

$16.8K ¥114.7K

6.13%

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

$52.2 ¥357

$43.69 ¥298

19.48%

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

$8.70 ¥59.4

$11.60 ¥79.2

-25.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.58 ¥92.7

$11.33 ¥77.4

19.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.31 ¥316

$41.07 ¥281

12.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.45 ¥140

$13.85 ¥94.6

47.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ¥56.5

$6.14 ¥41.90

34.53%

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

$1,266 ¥8,649

$442 ¥3,019

186.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K ¥218.2K

$17.2K ¥117.3K

86.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ¥408

$58.0 ¥396

2.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 ¥261

$34.83 ¥238

9.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 ¥527

$72.4 ¥495

6.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 ¥657

$93.3 ¥638

3.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 ¥6,478

$275 ¥1,879

244.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 ¥3,908

$191 ¥1,305

199.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,473 ¥16.9K

$590 ¥4,027

319.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 ¥8,239

$361 ¥2,466

234.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.1K ¥96.2K

$3,613 ¥24.7K

289.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,213 ¥49.3K

$1,791 ¥12.2K

302.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,682 ¥11.5K

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiagang: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Shanghai and $275 in Zhangjiagang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36 in Shanghai vs $27 in Zhangjiagang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 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 59% in total monthly costs ($1,194 vs $750 including rent). Zhangjiagang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,790 in Shanghai and $1,124 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: $948 in Shanghai versus $275 in Zhangjiagang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,266 in Shanghai versus $442 in Zhangjiagang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $750 in Zhangjiagang versus $1,194 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 59% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.