Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yangshuo and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Yangshuo: $713 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Yangshuo
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Yangshuo Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Yangshuo

🇨🇳 China

$713

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $713 in Yangshuo versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Yangshuo $713
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,130 in Yangshuo versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Yangshuo $1,130
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,548 in Yangshuo versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Yangshuo $1,548
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Yangshuo costs roughly 43% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yangshuo 47% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 ¥18.73

$4.56 ¥30.47

-38.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.83 ¥146

$30.21 ¥202

-27.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 ¥32.80

$5.25 ¥35.13

-6.48%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ¥20.45

$3.28 ¥21.94

-6.71%

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

$0.47 ¥3.12

$0.57 ¥3.84

-17.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.95

$0.36 ¥2.39

-19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.90 ¥5.99

$1.23 ¥8.23

-26.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥13.62

$2.27 ¥15.18

-10.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.14

$1.84 ¥12.30

-1.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ¥10.68

$1.96 ¥13.08

-18.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.33

$1.03 ¥6.87

-7.77%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.29

$1.67 ¥11.16

-7.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 ¥84.7

$16.96 ¥113

-25.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 ¥20.99

$3.19 ¥21.33

-1.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 ¥67.0

$12.90 ¥86.3

-22.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.49

$2.24 ¥15.00

-16.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.02

$1.66 ¥11.13

-27.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.88

$2.02 ¥13.54

-26.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.70

$1.66 ¥11.08

-30.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.77 ¥5.17

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.10

$0.93 ¥6.21

-2.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.03

$0.63 ¥4.19

-4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.41

$0.60 ¥3.99

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.34

$3.80 ¥25.44

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 ¥71.8

$10.87 ¥72.7

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.38

$0.82 ¥5.51

-2.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.01

$1.61 ¥10.76

2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.61 ¥4.11

-52.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.88 ¥113

$29.40 ¥197

-42.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.05

$2.11 ¥14.11

-36.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$0.43 ¥2.87

-23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ¥44.22

$9.06 ¥60.6

-27.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.91

$1.33 ¥8.89

-11.28%

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

$19.3K ¥129.1K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

1.51%

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

$17.4K ¥116.2K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-7.14%

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

$45.58 ¥305

$57.8 ¥387

-21.16%

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

$9.73 ¥65.0

$8.09 ¥54.1

20.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.52 ¥77.0

$10.48 ¥70.0

9.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.10 ¥275

$65.7 ¥439

-37.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.85 ¥92.6

$17.82 ¥119

-22.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.87 ¥39.27

$8.95 ¥59.9

-34.41%

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

$339 ¥2,270

$1,414 ¥9,451

-75.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ¥113.8K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-38.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.49 ¥297

$54.0 ¥361

-17.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.94 ¥207

$37.09 ¥248

-16.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.5 ¥485

$74.3 ¥496

-2.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ¥475

$106 ¥706

-32.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,870

$1,055 ¥7,056

-73.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ¥1,274

$585 ¥3,910

-67.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 ¥3,881

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-76.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ¥2,394

$1,232 ¥8,240

-70.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,087 ¥20.6K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-77.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,990 ¥13.3K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-68.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

3.36

15.77%

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

Last update for Yangshuo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yangshuo

$197 27.7%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 19% $38

Accommodation & Living

Yangshuo

$191 26.8%

Shanghai

$585 47% 207% $394

Clothing & Footwear

Yangshuo

$99 13.8%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 23.7% $23

Eating Out

Yangshuo

$85 12%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 24.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yangshuo

$67 9.4%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 14.3% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Yangshuo

$53 7.4%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 58.2% $31

Getting Around

Yangshuo

$21 3%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 71.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Yangshuo and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Yangshuo vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $235 per month, with Yangshuo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Yangshuo

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Yangshuo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300,000

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Yangshuo Shanghai 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Yangshuo
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

Yangshuo vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yangshuo and Shanghai differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($713 vs $1,244 including rent). Yangshuo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,069 in Yangshuo and $1,865 in Shanghai 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: $280 in Yangshuo versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $339 in Yangshuo versus $1,414 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $713 in Yangshuo versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Yangshuo but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Yangshuo 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, Yangshuo 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 Yangshuo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.