Cost of Living Comparison Between Shaoxing and Chengdu Cost of Living Comparison Between Shaoxing and Chengdu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $685 per month in Shaoxing vs $689 in Chengdu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,098 per month in Shaoxing vs $1,083 in Chengdu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,512 per month in Shaoxing vs $1,477 in Chengdu, rent included.

Shaoxing is about 1% cheaper than Chengdu, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Shaoxing and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Shaoxing 49% lower, Chengdu 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.77 ¥18.76

$2.85 ¥19.33

-2.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.61 ¥140

$24.00 ¥163

-14.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.14 ¥28.01

$4.99 ¥33.77

-17.03%

Cappuccino

$2.74 ¥18.54

$2.77 ¥18.76

-1.08%

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

$0.45 ¥3.06

$0.46 ¥3.14

-2.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.78

$0.30 ¥2.06

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 ¥4.53

$1.13 ¥7.64

-40.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.55

$2.13 ¥14.45

-19.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ¥15.05

$1.80 ¥12.20

23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥13.91

$1.39 ¥9.40

47.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.24

$0.90 ¥6.10

-14.44%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.41

$1.86 ¥12.62

-17.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.72 ¥52.3

$13.62 ¥92.2

-43.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 ¥19.14

$3.56 ¥24.11

-20.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.13 ¥61.9

$11.23 ¥76.1

-18.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 ¥13.04

$1.86 ¥12.63

3.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.59

$1.18 ¥8.00

20.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ¥11.14

$1.50 ¥10.16

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.17

$1.04 ¥7.02

16.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.89

$0.70 ¥4.74

24.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.45

$0.70 ¥4.72

35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 ¥5.50

$0.56 ¥3.82

44.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.61 ¥4.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ¥23.32

$3.24 ¥21.95

6.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 ¥69.0

$5.44 ¥36.83

87.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.37

$1.00 ¥6.79

-21.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ¥10.53

$1.87 ¥12.69

-17.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.41 ¥2.78

-29.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.85 ¥114

$27.31 ¥185

-38.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 ¥10.58

$1.22 ¥8.29

27.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.62

$0.26 ¥1.75

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ¥57.6

$4.09 ¥27.67

107.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.70

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

$17.3K ¥117.5K

$18.7K ¥126.8K

-7.33%

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

$14.7K ¥99.3K

$16.0K ¥108.6K

-8.62%

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

$42.83 ¥290

$45.05 ¥305

-4.93%

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

$11.08 ¥75.1

$11.69 ¥79.2

-5.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.99 ¥74.4

$11.38 ¥77.1

-3.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.87 ¥284

$24.49 ¥166

70.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.96 ¥94.6

$11.16 ¥75.6

25.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ¥36.98

$5.54 ¥37.51

-1.44%

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

$408 ¥2,765

$333 ¥2,253

22.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K ¥124.7K

$12.1K ¥82.2K

51.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.01 ¥285

$37.92 ¥257

10.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.12 ¥211

$38.57 ¥261

-19.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 ¥458

$67.4 ¥456

0.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.7 ¥452

$50.7 ¥343

31.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,897

$318 ¥2,153

-11.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 ¥1,280

$179 ¥1,215

5.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 ¥4,045

$610 ¥4,135

-2.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ¥2,404

$335 ¥2,266

6.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,194 ¥21.6K

$3,810 ¥25.8K

-16.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,804 ¥12.2K

$1,922 ¥13.0K

-6.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$891 ¥6,034

$1,257 ¥8,515

-29.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

4.21

-8.08%

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

Last update for Shaoxing: June 2, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $280 in Shaoxing versus $318 in Chengdu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 41% higher in Chengdu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Shaoxing versus $24.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $196 – making Shaoxing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Shaoxing vs Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $685 in Shaoxing, $689 in Chengdu – roughly 1% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,027 per month in Shaoxing and $1,033 in Chengdu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shaoxing, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Shaoxing and $24.00 in Chengdu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $685 in Shaoxing and $689 in Chengdu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $685 in Shaoxing and $689 in Chengdu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Shaoxing – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Shaoxing. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chengdu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.