Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tashkent and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Tashkent: $1,025 a month against $1,250 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Tashkent
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Tashkent Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Tashkent

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$1,025

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tashkent and in Shanghai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tashkent and in Shanghai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,025 in Tashkent versus $1,250 in Shanghai.

Tashkent $1,025
Shanghai $1,250

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,630 in Tashkent versus $2,019 in Shanghai.

Tashkent $1,630
Shanghai $2,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,234 in Tashkent versus $2,789 in Shanghai.

Tashkent $2,234
Shanghai $2,789

Living in Tashkent costs roughly 18% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tashkent 24% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.91 UZS 81.4K

$4.55 ¥30.45

51.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.76 UZS 397.7K

$29.52 ¥198

14.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 UZS 59.0K

$5.10 ¥34.13

-1.76%

Cappuccino

$2.56 UZS 30.1K

$3.42 ¥22.92

-25.15%

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

$0.76 UZS 9,001

$0.61 ¥4.12

24.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 UZS 3,991

$0.36 ¥2.41

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 UZS 25.5K

$1.21 ¥8.08

79.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 UZS 45.3K

$2.29 ¥15.33

67.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 UZS 15.8K

$1.86 ¥12.48

-27.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 UZS 9,736

$2.01 ¥13.47

-58.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UZS 20.6K

$1.02 ¥6.84

71.57%

Eggs

$1.82 UZS 21.5K

$1.72 ¥11.48

5.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 UZS 94.6K

$17.19 ¥115

-53.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.13 UZS 48.6K

$3.35 ¥22.43

23.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.77 UZS 150.4K

$12.80 ¥85.7

-0.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 UZS 18.3K

$2.17 ¥14.54

-28.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 UZS 21.0K

$1.74 ¥11.67

2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 UZS 27.7K

$1.94 ¥12.99

21.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 UZS 20.3K

$1.68 ¥11.25

2.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 UZS 6,664

$0.77 ¥5.18

-25.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 UZS 4,930

$0.93 ¥6.22

-54.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 UZS 12.4K

$0.62 ¥4.17

69.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 UZS 5,370

$0.58 ¥3.88

-20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 UZS 23.5K

$3.83 ¥25.64

-48.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.58 UZS 89.3K

$10.94 ¥73.2

-30.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 UZS 15.7K

$0.84 ¥5.60

59.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 UZS 41.7K

$1.60 ¥10.73

121.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 UZS 1,814

$0.59 ¥3.92

-74.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 UZS 148.9K

$30.27 ¥203

-58.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 UZS 9,870

$2.06 ¥13.79

-59.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 UZS 4,279

$0.47 ¥3.13

-23.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 UZS 40.4K

$8.80 ¥58.9

-61.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 UZS 13.8K

$1.27 ¥8.53

-7.87%

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

$16.7K UZS 196.5M

$19.6K ¥131.2K

-14.90%

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

$24.7K UZS 290.6M

$18.6K ¥124.4K

32.76%

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

$67.5 UZS 794.8K

$57.2 ¥383

17.89%

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

$4.46 UZS 52.5K

$8.06 ¥53.9

-44.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.75 UZS 162.0K

$10.52 ¥70.4

30.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 UZS 750.2K

$64.6 ¥433

-1.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.97 UZS 223.5K

$17.63 ¥118

7.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 UZS 70.9K

$8.84 ¥59.1

-31.90%

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

$333 UZS 3.9M

$1,437 ¥9,620

-76.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,395 UZS 110.7M

$28.1K ¥187.9K

-66.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 UZS 597.8K

$54.7 ¥366

-7.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 UZS 699.0K

$36.43 ¥244

62.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 UZS 1.3M

$75.4 ¥504

47.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 UZS 1.6M

$104 ¥696

31.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 UZS 7.0M

$1,039 ¥6,956

-42.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 UZS 4.4M

$589 ¥3,940

-36.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 UZS 13.9M

$2,487 ¥16.6K

-52.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 UZS 8.6M

$1,237 ¥8,282

-41.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,653 UZS 19.5M

$13.6K ¥90.9K

-87.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$941 UZS 11.1M

$6,191 ¥41.4K

-84.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$712 UZS 8.4M

$1,715 ¥11.5K

-58.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.31

3.36

593.75%

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

Last update for Tashkent: October 6, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tashkent

$376 36.3%

Shanghai

$589 47.1% 56.4% $212

Groceries & Markets

Tashkent

$197 19%

Shanghai

$237 19% 20.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Tashkent

$161 15.6%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 24.6% $40

Eating Out

Tashkent

$124 12%

Shanghai

$107 8.6% 13.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tashkent

$86 8.3%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 11.5% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Tashkent

$76 7.3%

Shanghai

$82 6.6% 8.7% $6.6

Getting Around

Tashkent

$16 1.5%

Shanghai

$37 3% 133% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $595 in Tashkent and $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 141% 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: $34.00 in Tashkent vs $30.00 in Shanghai. Groceries flip the comparison at $197 vs $237, with Tashkent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇿 Tashkent

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

11:43 11:43 AM

3 h ahead of Tashkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,956,384 Capital

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 UZS = 8.49 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.57 EUR

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to UZS – Uzbekistani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇿 Uzbekistani Som (soʻm)

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11,780 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.49 USD). 1 EUR = 13,212 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.57 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to UZS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tashkent Shanghai 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Tashkent
Shanghai

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

Tashkent vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tashkent and Shanghai differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,025 vs $1,250 including rent). Tashkent is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 141% lower in Shanghai. 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: $595 in Tashkent versus $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $333 in Tashkent versus $1,437 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,025 in Tashkent versus $1,250 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tashkent but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Tashkent 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, Tashkent 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 Tashkent gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.