Cost of Living Comparison Between Sivas and Shanghai Cost of Living Comparison Between Sivas and Shanghai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,066 in Sivas versus $1,209 in Shanghai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,616 in Sivas versus $1,979 in Shanghai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,165 in Sivas versus $2,749 in Shanghai.

Living in Sivas costs roughly 12% less than in Shanghai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sivas 20% lower, Shanghai 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.32 ₺290

$4.90 ¥33.15

28.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.73 ₺1,366

$36.30 ¥245

-18.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 ₺355

$5.59 ¥37.82

38.46%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ₺171

$3.55 ¥24.02

4.79%

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

$2.55 ₺117

$0.57 ¥3.88

347.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₺24.32

$0.36 ¥2.46

47.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 ₺230

$1.43 ¥9.66

250.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 ₺298

$2.85 ¥19.24

127.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 ₺45.99

$2.16 ¥14.59

-53.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.34 ₺15.81

$1.78 ¥12.02

-80.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 ₺101

$1.10 ¥7.42

100.91%

Eggs

$2.56 ₺117

$1.69 ¥11.43

51.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.17 ₺283

$15.30 ¥103

-59.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ₺171

$3.12 ¥21.11

19.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 ₺534

$10.76 ¥72.7

7.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 ₺59.2

$2.26 ¥15.28

-42.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 ₺114

$1.67 ¥11.31

47.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 ₺56.9

$1.80 ¥12.16

-31.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ₺58.9

$1.53 ¥10.35

-16.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 ₺45.59

$0.81 ¥5.46

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 ₺35.70

$1.11 ¥7.52

-29.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 ₺36.19

$0.68 ¥4.61

16.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₺40.31

$0.56 ¥3.76

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 ₺96.0

$2.84 ¥19.18

-26.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₺444

$11.60 ¥78.5

-16.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₺95.7

$0.79 ¥5.32

163.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ₺138

$1.64 ¥11.06

83.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ₺29.08

$0.43 ¥2.93

46.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.20 ₺1,387

$34.41 ¥233

-12.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ₺48.51

$2.21 ¥14.91

-52.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₺29.78

$0.38 ¥2.55

71.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 ₺348

$8.38 ¥56.6

-9.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ₺53.5

$1.14 ¥7.71

1.75%

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

$43.8K ₺2.0M

$19.5K ¥132.1K

124.32%

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

$42.8K ₺2.0M

$18.1K ¥122.7K

136.04%

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

$62.4 ₺2,868

$52.8 ¥357

18.22%

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

$10.69 ₺491

$8.53 ¥57.7

25.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.90 ₺593

$13.84 ¥93.6

-6.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.30 ₺1,990

$47.02 ¥318

-7.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.81 ¥134

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 ₺264

$8.46 ¥57.2

-32.03%

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

$619 ₺28.4K

$1,303 ¥8,808

-52.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,991 ₺413.1K

$31.6K ¥213.5K

-71.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 ₺2,376

$59.6 ¥403

-13.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.05 ₺2,070

$38.09 ¥258

18.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₺4,687

$78.8 ¥533

29.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.1 ₺4,092

$99.3 ¥671

-10.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$520 ₺23.9K

$933 ¥6,306

-44.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 ₺18.0K

$570 ¥3,854

-31.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$887 ₺40.8K

$2,490 ¥16.8K

-64.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 ₺33.1K

$1,192 ¥8,062

-39.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥94.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,729 ¥45.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$974 ₺44.8K

$1,689 ¥11.4K

-42.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

654.19%

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

Last update for Sivas: June 1, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $520 in Sivas and $933 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 73% 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: $30.00 in Sivas vs $36.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $225 per month, with Sivas cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated June 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Sivas vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sivas and Shanghai differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,066 vs $1,209 including rent). Sivas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Shanghai earns 73% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $520 in Sivas versus $933 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $619 in Sivas versus $1,303 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,066 in Sivas versus $1,209 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sivas but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Sivas 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.

Safety-wise, Sivas and Shanghai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sivas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.