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Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Zhongshan Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Zhongshan

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Shanghai is 37.2% more expensive than Zhongshan without rent, and 84.4% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Shanghai is 23.2% more expensive than Zhongshan without rent, and 104.1% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Shanghai
Zhongshan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.77 ยฅ33.30
$2.87 ยฅ20.01
66.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.92 ยฅ251
$16.61 ยฅ116
116.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.45 ยฅ38.01
$4.19 ยฅ29.27
30.07%
Cappuccino
$3.42 ยฅ23.89
$2.72 ยฅ18.95
25.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 ยฅ4.07
$0.40 ยฅ2.80
45.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ยฅ2.35
$0.29 ยฅ2.05
17.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.42 ยฅ9.91
$0.69 ยฅ4.80
105.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 ยฅ19.56
$1.72 ยฅ12.00
62.79%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Shanghai
Zhongshan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.09 ยฅ14.59
$1.80 ยฅ12.53
16.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 ยฅ12.92
$1.71 ยฅ11.94
8.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.10 ยฅ7.66
$0.90 ยฅ6.31
22.22%
Eggs
$1.60 ยฅ11.20
$1.55 ยฅ10.84
3.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.28 ยฅ107
$12.91 ยฅ90.1
18.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.08 ยฅ21.53
$2.57 ยฅ17.95
19.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.85 ยฅ75.8
$12.73 ยฅ88.9
-14.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.33 ยฅ16.30
$1.86 ยฅ13.01
25.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 ยฅ12.35
$0.99 ยฅ6.90
78.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 ยฅ12.42
$0.65 ยฅ4.51
173.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 ยฅ10.28
$1.32 ยฅ9.19
11.36%
Potato (1kg)
$0.81 ยฅ5.64
$0.53 ยฅ3.73
52.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 ยฅ8.10
$0.72 ยฅ5.01
61.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ยฅ4.37
$0.37 ยฅ2.58
70.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ยฅ4.17
$0.51 ยฅ3.56
17.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.77 ยฅ19.35
$2.83 ยฅ19.74
-2.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.49 ยฅ80.2
$13.51 ยฅ94.3
-14.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 ยฅ5.86
$0.66 ยฅ4.60
27.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 ยฅ11.27
$1.93 ยฅ13.45
-16.58%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Shanghai
Zhongshan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ยฅ2.79
$0.29 ยฅ2.05
37.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.13 ยฅ238
$14.04 ยฅ98.0
143.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.29 ยฅ15.98
$1.27 ยฅ8.84
80.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 ยฅ2.63
$0.34 ยฅ2.40
11.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.32 ยฅ58.1
$6.67 ยฅ46.58
24.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 ยฅ8.00
$1.13 ยฅ7.87
1.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K ยฅ137.2K
$22.9K ยฅ159.7K
-14.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.3K ยฅ127.5K
$20.5K ยฅ143.2K
-11.01%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shanghai
Zhongshan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$52.1 ยฅ363
$37.74 ยฅ263
37.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.79 ยฅ61.3
$8.38 ยฅ58.5
4.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.87 ยฅ96.8
$12.09 ยฅ84.4
14.72%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Shanghai
Zhongshan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.42 ยฅ324
$63.6 ยฅ444
-26.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.78 ยฅ138
$7.05 ยฅ49.22
180.57%
Cinema Ticket
$8.28 ยฅ57.8
$5.72 ยฅ39.93
44.76%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Shanghai
Zhongshan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,297 ยฅ9,056
$302 ยฅ2,110
329.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.9K ยฅ215.7K
$12.6K ยฅ87.9K
145.37%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Shanghai
Zhongshan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 ยฅ417
$43.91 ยฅ306
36.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.03 ยฅ265
$30.37 ยฅ212
25.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.5 ยฅ541
$55.2 ยฅ385
40.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.3 ยฅ693
$68.4 ยฅ478
45.14%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Shanghai
Zhongshan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$944 ยฅ6,591
$194 ยฅ1,351
387.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$570 ยฅ3,981
$118 ยฅ821
384.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,460 ยฅ17.2K
$353 ยฅ2,465
596.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,204 ยฅ8,401
$203 ยฅ1,416
493.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$14.2K ยฅ99.5K
$2,370 ยฅ16.5K
501.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,080 ยฅ49.4K
$1,448 ยฅ10.1K
389.01%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Shanghai
Zhongshan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,632 ยฅ11.4K
$800 ยฅ5,583
104.05%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.58
3.83
-6.53%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Shanghai: January 10, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: January 13, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
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