Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhangjiagang and Shanghai Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhangjiagang and Shanghai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $750 in Zhangjiagang versus $1,194 in Shanghai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,239 in Zhangjiagang versus $1,972 in Shanghai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,729 in Zhangjiagang versus $2,750 in Shanghai.

Living in Zhangjiagang costs roughly 37% less than in Shanghai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zhangjiagang 44% lower, Shanghai 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 ¥24.37

$4.97 ¥33.95

-28.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.64 ¥182

$36.17 ¥247

-26.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 ¥32.84

$5.42 ¥37.04

-11.25%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.94

$3.56 ¥24.31

-5.62%

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

$0.52 ¥3.57

$0.53 ¥3.64

-1.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$0.33 ¥2.28

-12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.38

$1.35 ¥9.23

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥11.13

$2.76 ¥18.87

-40.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ¥13.88

$2.13 ¥14.54

-4.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 ¥13.18

$1.84 ¥12.58

4.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.85

$1.05 ¥7.19

-4.76%

Eggs

$1.79 ¥12.19

$1.68 ¥11.45

6.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥117

$15.58 ¥106

10.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.60 ¥17.75

$3.24 ¥22.13

-19.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.39 ¥64.2

$10.83 ¥74.0

-13.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ¥13.56

$2.37 ¥16.22

-16.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.93

$1.69 ¥11.57

3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.78

$1.80 ¥12.27

-12.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.59

$1.48 ¥10.09

-14.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.20

$0.85 ¥5.83

-10.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.28

$1.17 ¥7.99

-21.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.61

$0.62 ¥4.25

8.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.63

$0.61 ¥4.15

-13.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 ¥27.77

$2.81 ¥19.17

44.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.40 ¥91.5

$11.89 ¥81.2

12.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥4.81

$0.79 ¥5.38

-11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.21

$1.57 ¥10.72

4.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥2.00

$0.44 ¥2.98

-34.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.72 ¥114

$34.93 ¥239

-52.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 ¥12.03

$2.24 ¥15.33

-21.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.77

$0.38 ¥2.59

-31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 ¥41.63

$8.23 ¥56.2

-25.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥8.01

$1.15 ¥7.87

1.74%

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

$19.1K ¥130.7K

$19.9K ¥135.8K

-3.73%

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

$16.8K ¥114.7K

$17.8K ¥121.8K

-5.78%

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

$43.69 ¥298

$52.2 ¥357

-16.30%

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

$11.60 ¥79.2

$8.70 ¥59.4

33.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.33 ¥77.4

$13.58 ¥92.7

-16.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.07 ¥281

$46.31 ¥316

-11.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.85 ¥94.6

$20.45 ¥140

-32.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.14 ¥41.90

$8.26 ¥56.5

-25.67%

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

$442 ¥3,019

$1,266 ¥8,649

-65.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥117.3K

$31.9K ¥218.2K

-46.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 ¥396

$59.8 ¥408

-2.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.83 ¥238

$38.23 ¥261

-8.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥495

$77.2 ¥527

-6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.3 ¥638

$96.2 ¥657

-2.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$275 ¥1,879

$948 ¥6,478

-70.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ¥1,305

$572 ¥3,908

-66.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 ¥4,027

$2,473 ¥16.9K

-76.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ¥2,466

$1,206 ¥8,239

-70.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 ¥24.7K

$14.1K ¥96.2K

-74.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,791 ¥12.2K

$7,213 ¥49.3K

-75.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,682 ¥11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.58

6.98%

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

Last update for Zhangjiagang: April 11, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $275 in Zhangjiagang and $948 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in Zhangjiagang vs $36 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $228 per month, with Zhangjiagang cheaper across the board.

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

Zhangjiagang vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhangjiagang and Shanghai differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($750 vs $1,194 including rent). Zhangjiagang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,124 in Zhangjiagang and $1,790 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: $275 in Zhangjiagang versus $948 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $442 in Zhangjiagang versus $1,266 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $750 in Zhangjiagang versus $1,194 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhangjiagang but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.