Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Zhuhai

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhuhai: $784 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Zhuhai
Learn more

Zhuhai Living Index

Jump to prices

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Zhuhai

🇨🇳 China

$784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Zhuhai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Shanghai versus $784 in Zhuhai.

Shanghai $1,222
Zhuhai $784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,971 in Shanghai versus $1,305 in Zhuhai.

Shanghai $1,971
Zhuhai $1,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,720 in Shanghai versus $1,825 in Zhuhai.

Shanghai $2,720
Zhuhai $1,825

Living in Shanghai is roughly 56% more expensive than in Zhuhai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Zhuhai 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.10

$2.64 ¥17.58

71.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$30.28 ¥201

-0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.02

$5.22 ¥34.70

-2.11%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.69

$3.15 ¥20.94

8.25%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.50 ¥3.33

16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.33 ¥2.17

6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.21

$1.17 ¥7.80

5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$2.25 ¥14.97

2.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.51

$1.60 ¥10.63

17.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.87

$1.30 ¥8.66

49.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$1.13 ¥7.52

-13.27%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.30

$1.69 ¥11.22

0.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$4.33 ¥28.78

293.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.40

$2.21 ¥14.69

45.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$3.79 ¥25.20

241.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.30

$1.26 ¥8.36

70.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.47

$0.62 ¥4.09

179.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.50

$0.44 ¥2.91

361.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.53

$1.49 ¥9.89

16.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.73 ¥4.87

13.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.47 ¥3.11

95.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.29 ¥1.90

131.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.43 ¥2.89

37.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.09

$3.08 ¥20.48

22.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.3

$3.71 ¥24.65

197.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥5.99

$0.59 ¥3.91

52.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.73 ¥11.51

-7.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.13 ¥0.88

338.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$8.75 ¥58.2

238.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.24

$1.46 ¥9.69

46.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.38 ¥2.51

23.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.1

$7.32 ¥48.66

19.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.28 ¥8.53

4.69%

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

$19.3K ¥128.0K

$15.6K ¥103.9K

23.20%

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

$18.3K ¥121.6K

$13.6K ¥90.1K

34.90%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$57.5 ¥382

2.52%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$10.13 ¥67.4

-22.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$16.37 ¥109

-35.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$80.9 ¥538

-19.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$30.87 ¥205

-43.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.2

$7.52 ¥50.0

20.48%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$540 ¥3,592

193.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.8K

$24.5K ¥163.2K

15.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$29.85 ¥199

82.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$39.51 ¥263

-5.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$72.3 ¥481

3.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$92.0 ¥612

15.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,822

$425 ¥2,826

141.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,720

$280 ¥1,864

99.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$907 ¥6,034

188.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,922

$651 ¥4,331

82.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥88.9K

$4,496 ¥29.9K

197.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$2,836 ¥18.9K

130.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

$1,084 ¥7,213

57.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.35

0.30%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zhuhai: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Zhuhai

$280 35.7% 49.9% $279

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Zhuhai

$118 15.1% 50.1% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Zhuhai

$105 13.4% 14.3% $18

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Zhuhai

$88 11.3% 17.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Zhuhai

$96 12.2% 15.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Zhuhai

$84 10.7% 8.5% $6.6

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Zhuhai

$13 1.6% 65.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,026 in Shanghai and $425 in Zhuhai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 58% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $30 in Shanghai vs $30 in Zhuhai. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $118, with Zhuhai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Zhuhai

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

2,207,090

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Zhuhai 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Zhuhai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Zhuhai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,222 in Shanghai and $784 in Zhuhai, so Zhuhai is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% 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: $1,026 in Shanghai versus $425 in Zhuhai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,222 per month in Shanghai versus $784 in Zhuhai – Zhuhai is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Zhuhai 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.

It comes down to priorities – Zhuhai wins on affordability, Shanghai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.