Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yangzhou and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Yangzhou: $686 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Yangzhou
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Yangzhou Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Yangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$686

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $686 in Yangzhou versus $1,222 in Shanghai.

Yangzhou $686
Shanghai $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,102 in Yangzhou versus $1,971 in Shanghai.

Yangzhou $1,102
Shanghai $1,971

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,517 in Yangzhou versus $2,720 in Shanghai.

Yangzhou $1,517
Shanghai $2,720

Living in Yangzhou costs roughly 44% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yangzhou 50% lower, Shanghai 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ¥15.17

$4.53 ¥30.07

-49.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.15 ¥74.1

$30.16 ¥200

-63.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.08 ¥20.45

$5.11 ¥33.99

-39.73%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ¥16.60

$3.41 ¥22.67

-26.69%

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

$0.44 ¥2.92

$0.58 ¥3.85

-24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 ¥1.39

$0.35 ¥2.36

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ¥6.85

$1.23 ¥8.21

-16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ¥13.33

$2.31 ¥15.35

-12.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.15

$1.88 ¥12.50

-34.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 ¥13.48

$1.94 ¥12.86

4.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.39

$0.98 ¥6.51

-17.35%

Eggs

$1.02 ¥6.75

$1.70 ¥11.29

-40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.12 ¥93.8

$17.02 ¥113

-17.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.68 ¥17.80

$3.22 ¥21.38

-16.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ¥44.77

$12.93 ¥85.9

-47.87%

Apples (1kg)

$0.75 ¥4.97

$2.15 ¥14.29

-65.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.25

$1.73 ¥11.46

-2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.44 ¥2.89

$2.03 ¥13.49

-78.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ¥6.95

$1.73 ¥11.52

-39.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.79

$0.83 ¥5.50

-13.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.14

$0.92 ¥6.12

-32.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ¥5.20

$0.67 ¥4.47

16.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥4.76

$0.59 ¥3.92

22.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ¥19.82

$3.77 ¥25.06

-20.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.03 ¥79.9

$11.03 ¥73.3

9.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ¥5.89

$0.90 ¥5.99

-1.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ¥12.69

$1.60 ¥10.66

19.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.57 ¥3.80

-38.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.84 ¥132

$29.62 ¥197

-33.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ¥7.85

$2.14 ¥14.23

-44.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.72

$0.47 ¥3.10

-44.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 ¥23.51

$8.74 ¥58.1

-59.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ¥7.74

$1.34 ¥8.92

-13.43%

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

$19.7K ¥130.9K

$19.3K ¥127.9K

2.35%

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

$16.8K ¥111.8K

$18.3K ¥121.5K

-7.94%

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

$49.69 ¥330

$58.9 ¥391

-15.64%

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

$8.29 ¥55.1

$7.90 ¥52.5

4.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.09 ¥80.3

$10.60 ¥70.4

14.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.28 ¥254

$64.8 ¥431

-40.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.92 ¥112

$17.47 ¥116

-3.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 ¥42.46

$9.06 ¥60.2

-29.47%

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

$242 ¥1,611

$1,587 ¥10.5K

-84.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,398 ¥49.2K

$28.2K ¥187.6K

-73.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 ¥607

$54.6 ¥363

67.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.42 ¥215

$37.21 ¥247

-12.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.0 ¥432

$74.6 ¥495

-12.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.1 ¥606

$106 ¥706

-14.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 ¥1,687

$1,026 ¥6,816

-75.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$162 ¥1,077

$559 ¥3,716

-71.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 ¥4,045

$2,618 ¥17.4K

-76.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 ¥2,578

$1,191 ¥7,915

-67.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,595 ¥17.2K

$13.4K ¥88.9K

-80.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,777 ¥11.8K

$6,527 ¥43.4K

-72.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,260 ¥8,373

$1,712 ¥11.4K

-26.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

3.36

-7.74%

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

Last update for Yangzhou: October 26, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yangzhou

$184 26.8%

Shanghai

$237 19.4% 28.5% $52

Accommodation & Living

Yangzhou

$162 23.6%

Shanghai

$559 45.8% 245% $397

Clothing & Footwear

Yangzhou

$126 18.4%

Shanghai

$123 10% 2.6% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yangzhou

$70 10.2%

Shanghai

$77 6.3% 10.5% $7.3

Eating Out

Yangzhou

$69 10.1%

Shanghai

$107 8.8% 54.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Yangzhou

$51 7.4%

Shanghai

$83 6.8% 62.4% $32

Getting Around

Yangzhou

$24 3.5%

Shanghai

$36 3% 53.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $254 in Yangzhou and $1,026 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 36% 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: $11 in Yangzhou vs $30 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $237 per month, with Yangzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Yangzhou

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

Same time as Yangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,559,797

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Yangzhou vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $686 in Yangzhou and $1,222 in Shanghai, so Yangzhou is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Yangzhou. 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: $254 in Yangzhou versus $1,026 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $242 in Yangzhou versus $1,587 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $686 in Yangzhou versus $1,222 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yangzhou but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Yangzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yangzhou is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Shanghai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Yangzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.