Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Zunyi Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Zunyi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,209 in Shanghai versus $721 in Zunyi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,979 in Shanghai versus $1,130 in Zunyi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Shanghai versus $1,538 in Zunyi.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 68% more expensive than Zunyi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Zunyi 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.90 ¥33.17

$2.81 ¥19.03

74.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.30 ¥246

$21.81 ¥148

66.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ¥37.83

$4.75 ¥32.16

17.68%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ¥24.03

$2.96 ¥20.05

19.93%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$0.47 ¥3.17

21.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.46

$0.27 ¥1.81

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ¥9.66

$0.94 ¥6.39

52.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ¥19.25

$2.04 ¥13.79

39.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ¥14.60

$1.81 ¥12.23

19.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ¥12.02

$1.61 ¥10.88

10.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.42

$0.89 ¥6.03

23.60%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.44

$1.55 ¥10.49

9.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.30 ¥104

$12.70 ¥85.9

20.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥21.12

$3.23 ¥21.82

-3.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ¥72.8

$10.35 ¥70.0

3.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ¥15.29

$1.87 ¥12.62

20.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ¥11.31

$1.25 ¥8.44

33.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.17

$1.53 ¥10.34

17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.35

$1.10 ¥7.47

39.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.46

$0.69 ¥4.67

17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.52

$0.97 ¥6.55

14.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.61

$0.60 ¥4.09

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.54 ¥3.69

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ¥19.19

$3.18 ¥21.49

-10.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 ¥78.5

$10.69 ¥72.3

8.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.32

$0.75 ¥5.10

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.07

$1.59 ¥10.75

3.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.29 ¥1.98

48.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.41 ¥233

$16.90 ¥114

103.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ¥14.92

$1.38 ¥9.31

60.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.35 ¥2.40

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 ¥56.7

$6.53 ¥44.16

28.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.71

$1.17 ¥7.88

-2.56%

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

$19.5K ¥132.2K

$19.3K ¥130.8K

1.05%

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

$18.1K ¥122.8K

$17.5K ¥118.6K

3.49%

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

$52.8 ¥357

$45.54 ¥308

15.96%

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

$8.53 ¥57.7

$9.94 ¥67.3

-14.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 ¥93.6

$11.67 ¥78.9

18.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.02 ¥318

$41.33 ¥280

13.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.81 ¥134

$14.00 ¥94.7

41.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 ¥57.2

$6.08 ¥41.14

39.14%

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

$1,303 ¥8,813

$335 ¥2,268

288.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K ¥213.6K

$16.7K ¥112.7K

89.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥403

$44.22 ¥299

34.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥258

$30.59 ¥207

24.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ¥533

$70.7 ¥478

11.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 ¥671

$70.5 ¥477

40.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,309

$273 ¥1,849

241.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 ¥3,856

$190 ¥1,287

199.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 ¥16.8K

$595 ¥4,025

318.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ¥8,066

$356 ¥2,405

235.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥94.6K

$3,080 ¥20.8K

354.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,729 ¥45.5K

$2,057 ¥13.9K

227.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,689 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.89

-7.97%

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

Last update for Shanghai: June 2, 2026

Last update for Zunyi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $933 in Shanghai and $273 in Zunyi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Shanghai vs $22.00 in Zunyi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $199 per month, with Zunyi 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 Zunyi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Zunyi differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,209 vs $721 including rent). Zunyi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,814 in Shanghai and $1,082 in Zunyi 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: $933 in Shanghai versus $273 in Zunyi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,303 in Shanghai versus $335 in Zunyi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $721 in Zunyi versus $1,209 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zunyi but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Zunyi 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 Zunyi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.