Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Zhoushan Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Zhoushan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Shanghai versus $671 in Zhoushan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,961 in Shanghai versus $1,068 in Zhoushan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,720 in Shanghai versus $1,464 in Zhoushan.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 79% more expensive than in Zhoushan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Zhoushan 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.77 ¥32.30

$3.06 ¥20.70

55.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.51 ¥240

$17.35 ¥117

104.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ¥37.04

$4.90 ¥33.17

11.63%

Cappuccino

$3.47 ¥23.48

$2.76 ¥18.68

25.72%

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

$0.58 ¥3.92

$0.47 ¥3.17

23.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ¥2.48

$0.29 ¥1.98

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ¥9.29

$0.94 ¥6.35

45.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ¥19.14

$1.37 ¥9.25

106.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ¥14.85

$2.05 ¥13.88

6.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ¥12.02

$2.52 ¥17.02

-29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.10

$0.88 ¥5.95

19.32%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.98

$0.98 ¥6.62

65.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.45 ¥105

$21.14 ¥143

-26.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 ¥20.85

$3.62 ¥24.51

-14.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 ¥73.2

$7.58 ¥51.3

42.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ¥15.89

$1.42 ¥9.62

65.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.72

$1.14 ¥7.68

51.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.68

$1.38 ¥9.32

25.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.94

$1.13 ¥7.68

30.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.36

$0.59 ¥3.97

33.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.49

$0.80 ¥5.41

38.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.53

$0.59 ¥4.01

13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.51 ¥3.44

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.08

$4.15 ¥28.08

-32.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.94 ¥80.8

$11.08 ¥75.0

7.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.31

$0.94 ¥6.34

-17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.90

$2.84 ¥19.20

-43.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ¥2.70

$0.29 ¥1.97

37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.99 ¥237

$16.80 ¥114

108.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ¥14.81

$1.52 ¥10.26

44.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.35 ¥2.39

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.44 ¥57.2

$8.48 ¥57.4

-0.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥7.39

$1.14 ¥7.69

-4.39%

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

$19.7K ¥133.4K

$21.2K ¥143.8K

-7.20%

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

$17.8K ¥120.6K

$15.0K ¥101.6K

18.69%

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

$51.9 ¥351

$44.32 ¥300

17.04%

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

$8.73 ¥59.1

$14.77 ¥100.0

-40.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.48 ¥91.2

$11.59 ¥78.5

16.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.45 ¥308

$23.16 ¥157

96.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.37 ¥138

$6.80 ¥46.04

199.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.12 ¥54.9

$6.34 ¥42.88

28.08%

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

$1,289 ¥8,723

$764 ¥5,169

68.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K ¥211.8K

$17.2K ¥116.6K

81.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ¥405

$54.6 ¥370

9.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 ¥255

$35.99 ¥244

4.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ¥526

$70.4 ¥476

10.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 ¥662

$91.8 ¥621

6.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 ¥6,521

$311 ¥2,105

209.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 ¥3,831

$112 ¥761

403.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,491 ¥16.9K

$683 ¥4,620

264.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ¥7,989

$252 ¥1,703

369.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.2K ¥95.8K

$2,989 ¥20.2K

373.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,684 ¥45.2K

$1,983 ¥13.4K

237.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,676 ¥11.3K

$580 ¥3,926

189.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.86

-7.25%

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

Last update for Shanghai: June 14, 2026

Last update for Zhoushan: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $964 in Shanghai and $311 in Zhoushan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 189% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $36.00 in Shanghai vs $17.00 in Zhoushan. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $227, with Shanghai cheaper for home cooking.

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

Shanghai and Zhoushan differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($1,202 vs $671 including rent). Zhoushan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 189% higher in Shanghai, 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: $964 in Shanghai versus $311 in Zhoushan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,289 in Shanghai versus $764 in Zhoushan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Shanghai pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $671 in Zhoushan versus $1,202 in Shanghai, a $2,000 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.

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 Zhoushan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.