Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Zhoushan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhoushan: $623 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Zhoushan
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Zhoushan Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Zhoushan

🇨🇳 China

$623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Zhoushan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Shanghai versus $623 in Zhoushan.

Shanghai $1,222
Zhoushan $623

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,971 in Shanghai versus $1,008 in Zhoushan.

Shanghai $1,971
Zhoushan $1,008

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,720 in Shanghai versus $1,394 in Zhoushan.

Shanghai $2,720
Zhoushan $1,394

Living in Shanghai is roughly 96% more expensive than in Zhoushan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Zhoushan 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$3.32 ¥22.12

36.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$18.60 ¥124

62.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.04

$4.09 ¥27.25

24.94%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.70

$2.96 ¥19.68

15.20%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.47 ¥3.10

23.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.27 ¥1.81

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$0.77 ¥5.13

59.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$1.93 ¥12.81

19.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.52

$1.80 ¥12.01

4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$2.19 ¥14.57

-11.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$0.87 ¥5.81

12.64%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.31

$1.06 ¥7.02

60.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$13.59 ¥90.5

25.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$3.48 ¥23.17

-7.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$11.07 ¥73.7

16.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$1.53 ¥10.16

40.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$1.23 ¥8.16

40.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$1.53 ¥10.17

32.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.22 ¥8.10

41.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.57 ¥3.82

45.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.88 ¥5.86

4.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.60 ¥3.98

11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.55 ¥3.69

7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.10

$5.36 ¥35.65

-29.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$12.10 ¥80.5

-8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$0.91 ¥6.08

-1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$2.16 ¥14.37

-25.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.29 ¥1.92

96.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$15.22 ¥101

94.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$1.48 ¥9.87

44.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.42 ¥2.83

11.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$9.04 ¥60.1

-3.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.17 ¥7.81

14.53%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$19.8K ¥131.5K

-2.58%

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

$18.3K ¥121.7K

$16.0K ¥106.2K

14.56%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$36.52 ¥243

61.28%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$11.44 ¥76.1

-30.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$27.66 ¥184

-61.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$25.05 ¥167

158.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$7.59 ¥50.5

130.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$6.16 ¥41.00

47.08%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$447 ¥2,972

255.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$16.5K ¥109.5K

71.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$34.73 ¥231

57.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$21.39 ¥142

73.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$64.7 ¥430

15.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$45.75 ¥304

132.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,826

$333 ¥2,214

208.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,722

$118 ¥786

373.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$762 ¥5,069

243.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,926

$271 ¥1,803

339.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$3,030 ¥20.2K

341.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$1,988 ¥13.2K

228.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

$588 ¥3,915

191.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.13

7.35%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zhoushan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Zhoushan

$118 19% 78.9% $441

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Zhoushan

$212 34% 10.4% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Zhoushan

$75 12% 38.9% $48

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Zhoushan

$85 13.7% 20.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Zhoushan

$37 6% 54.9% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Zhoushan

$76 12.1% 2.3% $1.8

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Zhoushan

$20 3.2% 45.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,026 in Shanghai and $333 in Zhoushan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $30 in Shanghai vs $19 in Zhoushan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $212 per month, with Zhoushan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Zhoushan

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

1,157,817

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Zhoushan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,222 in Shanghai and $623 in Zhoushan, so Zhoushan is about 49% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Shanghai is about 2.9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,026 in Shanghai versus $333 in Zhoushan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,587 in Shanghai versus $447 in Zhoushan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $623 in Zhoushan versus $1,222 in Shanghai, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Zhoushan but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Zhoushan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zhoushan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Shanghai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Zhoushan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.