Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yangon (Rangoon) and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Yangon (Rangoon): $775 a month against $1,250 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Yangon (Rangoon)
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Yangon (Rangoon) Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Yangon (Rangoon)

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$775

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yangon (Rangoon) 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 Yangon (Rangoon) and in Shanghai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $775 in Yangon (Rangoon) versus $1,250 in Shanghai.

Yangon (Rangoon) $775
Shanghai $1,250

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,293 in Yangon (Rangoon) versus $2,019 in Shanghai.

Yangon (Rangoon) $1,293
Shanghai $2,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,810 in Yangon (Rangoon) versus $2,789 in Shanghai.

Yangon (Rangoon) $1,810
Shanghai $2,789

Living in Yangon (Rangoon) costs roughly 38% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yangon (Rangoon) 42% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.52 MMK 5,283

$4.55 ¥30.40

-44.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.80 MMK 35.2K

$29.52 ¥197

-43.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.03 MMK 6,334

$5.10 ¥34.08

-40.59%

Cappuccino

$1.65 MMK 3,459

$3.42 ¥22.88

-51.75%

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

$0.71 MMK 1,478

$0.61 ¥4.11

16.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 MMK 1,344

$0.36 ¥2.40

77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 MMK 2,052

$1.21 ¥8.07

-19.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 MMK 4,080

$2.29 ¥15.31

-14.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MMK 3,613

$1.86 ¥12.46

-6.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 MMK 2,361

$2.01 ¥13.45

-43.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 MMK 4,683

$1.02 ¥6.83

119.61%

Eggs

$1.88 MMK 3,932

$1.72 ¥11.46

9.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 MMK 13.2K

$17.19 ¥115

-63.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MMK 9,552

$3.35 ¥22.39

36.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.80 MMK 12.1K

$12.80 ¥85.5

-54.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 MMK 9,844

$2.17 ¥14.51

116.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 MMK 2,324

$1.74 ¥11.65

-36.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 MMK 8,733

$1.94 ¥12.96

114.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 MMK 6,422

$1.68 ¥11.23

82.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 MMK 5,454

$0.77 ¥5.17

237.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 MMK 3,508

$0.93 ¥6.21

80.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MMK 2,505

$0.62 ¥4.16

93.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 MMK 990

$0.58 ¥3.88

-18.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.68 MMK 3,514

$3.83 ¥25.60

-56.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.12 MMK 19.1K

$10.94 ¥73.1

-16.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MMK 2,025

$0.84 ¥5.59

15.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MMK 2,531

$1.60 ¥10.71

-24.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 MMK 590

$0.59 ¥3.92

-52.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.96 MMK 25.0K

$30.27 ¥202

-60.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 MMK 2,154

$2.06 ¥13.77

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 MMK 2,057

$0.47 ¥3.13

108.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 MMK 5,607

$8.80 ¥58.8

-69.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$9.07 MMK 19.0K

$1.27 ¥8.51

614.17%

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

$30.6K MMK 64.0M

$19.6K ¥131.0K

56.04%

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

$46.8K MMK 98.1M

$18.6K ¥124.2K

152.15%

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

$48.50 MMK 101.5K

$57.2 ¥382

-15.25%

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

$7.38 MMK 15.5K

$8.06 ¥53.8

-8.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 MMK 39.5K

$10.52 ¥70.3

79.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.31 MMK 40.4K

$64.6 ¥432

-70.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.23 MMK 23.5K

$17.63 ¥118

-36.30%

Cinema Ticket

$2.48 MMK 5,183

$8.84 ¥59.1

-71.95%

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

$510 MMK 1.1M

$1,437 ¥9,605

-64.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K MMK 36.6M

$28.1K ¥187.5K

-37.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 MMK 184.5K

$54.7 ¥365

61.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.9 MMK 133.8K

$36.43 ¥243

75.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MMK 210.1K

$75.4 ¥504

33.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MMK 271.7K

$104 ¥695

24.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 MMK 750.6K

$1,039 ¥6,945

-65.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 MMK 413.7K

$589 ¥3,933

-66.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 MMK 2.2M

$2,487 ¥16.6K

-57.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$544 MMK 1.1M

$1,237 ¥8,268

-56.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,169 MMK 4.5M

$13.6K ¥90.8K

-84.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$933 MMK 2.0M

$6,191 ¥41.4K

-84.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$284 MMK 594.8K

$1,715 ¥11.5K

-83.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

257.14%

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

Last update for Yangon (Rangoon): October 5, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yangon (Rangoon)

$213 27.9%

Shanghai

$237 19% 10.9% $23

Accommodation & Living

Yangon (Rangoon)

$198 25.9%

Shanghai

$589 47.1% 198% $391

Clothing & Footwear

Yangon (Rangoon)

$172 22.5%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 29.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yangon (Rangoon)

$75 9.8%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 1.4% $1.1

Eating Out

Yangon (Rangoon)

$63 8.3%

Shanghai

$107 8.6% 69.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Yangon (Rangoon)

$24 3.2%

Shanghai

$82 6.6% 239% $58

Getting Around

Yangon (Rangoon)

$19 2.5%

Shanghai

$37 3% 94.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $359 in Yangon (Rangoon) and $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 504% 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: $17.00 in Yangon (Rangoon) vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $237 per month, with Yangon (Rangoon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇲 Yangon (Rangoon)

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

12:49 12:49 PM

14:19 2:19 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Yangon (Rangoon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,160,512

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.26 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MMK – Myanmar Kyat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇲 Myanmar Kyat (K)

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,348 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.26 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to MMK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Yangon (Rangoon) Shanghai 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Yangon (Rangoon)
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

Yangon (Rangoon) vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yangon (Rangoon) and Shanghai differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($775 vs $1,250 including rent). Yangon (Rangoon) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 504% 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: $359 in Yangon (Rangoon) versus $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $510 in Yangon (Rangoon) 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 11% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $775 in Yangon (Rangoon) versus $1,250 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yangon (Rangoon) but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Yangon (Rangoon) 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 Yangon (Rangoon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.