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Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongshan and Shanghai Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongshan and Shanghai

๐Ÿ™‚ Solo nomad: Zhongshan is 27.1% cheaper than Shanghai without rent, and 45.8% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ™‚ Family of 3: Zhongshan is 18.8% cheaper than Shanghai without rent, and 51% cheaper with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Zhongshan
Shanghai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.87 ยฅ20.01
$4.77 ยฅ33.30
-39.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.61 ยฅ116
$35.92 ยฅ251
-53.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.19 ยฅ29.27
$5.45 ยฅ38.01
-23.12%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ยฅ18.95
$3.42 ยฅ23.89
-20.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 ยฅ2.80
$0.58 ยฅ4.07
-31.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ยฅ2.05
$0.34 ยฅ2.35
-14.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.69 ยฅ4.80
$1.42 ยฅ9.91
-51.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ยฅ12.00
$2.80 ยฅ19.56
-38.57%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Zhongshan
Shanghai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 ยฅ12.53
$2.09 ยฅ14.59
-13.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.71 ยฅ11.94
$1.85 ยฅ12.92
-7.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.90 ยฅ6.31
$1.10 ยฅ7.66
-18.18%
Eggs
$1.55 ยฅ10.84
$1.60 ยฅ11.20
-3.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 ยฅ90.1
$15.28 ยฅ107
-15.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.57 ยฅ17.95
$3.08 ยฅ21.53
-16.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.73 ยฅ88.9
$10.85 ยฅ75.8
17.33%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ยฅ13.01
$2.33 ยฅ16.30
-20.17%
Banana (1kg)
$0.99 ยฅ6.90
$1.77 ยฅ12.35
-44.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.65 ยฅ4.51
$1.78 ยฅ12.42
-63.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.32 ยฅ9.19
$1.47 ยฅ10.28
-10.20%
Potato (1kg)
$0.53 ยฅ3.73
$0.81 ยฅ5.64
-34.57%
Onion (1kg)
$0.72 ยฅ5.01
$1.16 ยฅ8.10
-37.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.37 ยฅ2.58
$0.63 ยฅ4.37
-41.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ยฅ3.56
$0.60 ยฅ4.17
-15.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.83 ยฅ19.74
$2.77 ยฅ19.35
2.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.51 ยฅ94.3
$11.49 ยฅ80.2
17.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 ยฅ4.60
$0.84 ยฅ5.86
-21.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 ยฅ13.45
$1.61 ยฅ11.27
19.88%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Zhongshan
Shanghai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ยฅ2.05
$0.40 ยฅ2.79
-27.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.04 ยฅ98.0
$34.13 ยฅ238
-58.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 ยฅ8.84
$2.29 ยฅ15.98
-44.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 ยฅ2.40
$0.38 ยฅ2.63
-10.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.67 ยฅ46.58
$8.32 ยฅ58.1
-19.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 ยฅ7.87
$1.15 ยฅ8.00
-1.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.9K ยฅ159.7K
$19.7K ยฅ137.2K
16.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.5K ยฅ143.2K
$18.3K ยฅ127.5K
12.37%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zhongshan
Shanghai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$37.74 ยฅ263
$52.1 ยฅ363
-27.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.38 ยฅ58.5
$8.79 ยฅ61.3
-4.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.09 ยฅ84.4
$13.87 ยฅ96.8
-12.83%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Zhongshan
Shanghai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.6 ยฅ444
$46.42 ยฅ324
36.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.05 ยฅ49.22
$19.78 ยฅ138
-64.36%
Cinema Ticket
$5.72 ยฅ39.93
$8.28 ยฅ57.8
-30.92%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Zhongshan
Shanghai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$302 ยฅ2,110
$1,297 ยฅ9,056
-76.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K ยฅ87.9K
$30.9K ยฅ215.7K
-59.25%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Zhongshan
Shanghai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.91 ยฅ306
$59.8 ยฅ417
-26.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.37 ยฅ212
$38.03 ยฅ265
-20.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$55.2 ยฅ385
$77.5 ยฅ541
-28.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.4 ยฅ478
$99.3 ยฅ693
-31.10%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Zhongshan
Shanghai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$194 ยฅ1,351
$944 ยฅ6,591
-79.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$118 ยฅ821
$570 ยฅ3,981
-79.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$353 ยฅ2,465
$2,460 ยฅ17.2K
-85.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$203 ยฅ1,416
$1,204 ยฅ8,401
-83.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,370 ยฅ16.5K
$14.2K ยฅ99.5K
-83.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,448 ยฅ10.1K
$7,080 ยฅ49.4K
-79.55%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Zhongshan
Shanghai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$800 ยฅ5,583
$1,632 ยฅ11.4K
-50.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.83
3.58
6.98%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Zhongshan: January 13, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: January 10, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
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