Cost of Living in Shanghai

Summary of cost of living in Shanghai, China:

Restaurants
Edit Range
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant 35.00 ¥ 25.00-60.00
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course 250.00 ¥ 200.00-400.00
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) 40.00 ¥ 32.00-50.00
Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) 10.00 ¥ 5.00-30.00
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) 20.00 ¥ 15.00-40.00
Cappuccino (regular) 26.77 ¥ 15.00-38.00
Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) 3.90 ¥ 3.00-6.00
Water (12 oz small bottle) 2.44 ¥ 2.00-4.00
Markets
Edit
Milk (regular), (1 gallon) 64.84 ¥ 37.85-94.64
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) 12.80 ¥ 6.80-22.68
Rice (white), (1 lb) 3.67 ¥ 2.27-7.26
Eggs (regular) (12) 13.13 ¥ 7.20-24.00
Local Cheese (1 lb) 63.25 ¥ 22.68-145.15
Chicken Fillets (1 lb) 12.23 ¥ 9.07-22.68
Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) 42.07 ¥ 27.17-68.04
Apples (1 lb) 7.29 ¥ 4.08-11.29
Banana (1 lb) 5.43 ¥ 3.18-9.07
Oranges (1 lb) 6.42 ¥ 2.27-11.34
Tomato (1 lb) 4.79 ¥ 2.27-8.16
Potato (1 lb) 3.17 ¥ 1.36-4.99
Onion (1 lb) 3.41 ¥ 1.36-5.44
Lettuce (1 head) 6.39 ¥ 2.00-10.00
Water (1.5 liter bottle) 4.18 ¥ 2.50-10.00
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) 100.00 ¥ 50.00-200.00
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) 6.04 ¥ 4.00-10.00
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) 13.44 ¥ 7.00-20.00
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) 25.00 ¥ 20.00-40.00
Transportation
Edit
One-way Ticket (Local Transport) 4.00 ¥ 3.00-8.00
Monthly Pass (Regular Price) 300.00 ¥ 180.00-500.00
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) 16.00 ¥ 14.00-18.00
Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) 4.83 ¥ 4.35-8.05
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) 60.00 ¥ 45.00-61.00
Gasoline (1 gallon) 32.22 ¥ 29.53-34.07
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) 150,000.00 ¥ 137,300.00-160,000.00
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) 131,685.71 ¥ 120,000.00-150,000.00
Utilities (Monthly)
Edit
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment 451.71 ¥ 250.00-1,000.00
Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data 96.67 ¥ 50.00-150.00
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) 136.65 ¥ 80.00-200.00
Sports And Leisure
Edit
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult 574.79 ¥ 200.00-2,000.00
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) 128.18 ¥ 50.00-200.00
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat 60.00 ¥ 45.00-80.00
Childcare
Edit
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child 8,839.68 ¥ 4,000.00-16,000.00
International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child 203,653.85 ¥ 150,000.00-300,000.00
Clothing And Shoes
Edit
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) 456.88 ¥ 160.00-800.00
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) 267.50 ¥ 150.00-400.00
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) 534.96 ¥ 400.00-800.00
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes 790.83 ¥ 400.00-1,200.00
Rent Per Month
Edit
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre 7,420.00 ¥ 5,000.00-10,000.00
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre 3,668.42 ¥ 2,500.00-5,000.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre 20,391.30 ¥ 15,000.00-35,000.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre 9,906.25 ¥ 6,000.00-18,000.00
Buy Apartment Price
Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre 11,621.81 ¥ 9,290.23-14,864.36
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre 6,216.37 ¥ 4,645.11-9,290.23
Salaries And Financing
Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) 10,648.25 ¥
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate 4.75 4.20-5.30

Prices in Shanghai

This city had 1969 entries in the past 12 months by 233 different contributors.
Last update: March 2024
Sources and References
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
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33 Comments so far
Anonymous on Mar 07, 2024:
China and Asian race in general is the biggest threat to western civilization. China has always been the cause of all plagues Justinian Plague Black Death Smallpox everything bad comes from China. It needs to be removed from the face of the earth if western civilization wants to survive
Anonymous on Feb 07, 2024:
Most of you have never been to China! Listen to your media. As a China native living in Jiangmen, Guangdong Province, I have a good life here. I am really surprised to see the nonsense everywhere in this comment area. The Communist Party of China (CPC)'s initial intention is to serve the society and the people. I have never been persecuted here.
Anonymous on Dec 09, 2023:
Real estate prices in China fell by 30% and in Shanghai by more than 43%, so housing prices in China are really not promising
Rasmus on Nov 30, 2023:
Average salary is very high, almost equal to Stockholm! Cant believe economical growth is that fast, its craaaaazy to me!
shutup on Sep 11, 2023:
all your comments are just fart! shut the * up. Have you been shanghai?!
Anonymous on Apr 26, 2023:
We've been to china seen the cost of living which isn't really living well.Basically there's no quality workmanship with any products we've purchased which is all products made in china to the present.A rapidly declining population average age is 49 unsustainable survival rate. A place where foreign businesses don't do business anymore but instead have chosen countries like Indonesia Malaysia and Vietnam. As far as quality of life goes there is none in china no matter how much hype there is it doesn't matter and it never did.We are a powerful private investment group who lured both small and large businesses out of china and it didn't take much convincing.
Anonymous on Apr 08, 2023:
Interestingly, some people who have never been to China are discussing the media's deliberate portrayal of certain scenes. Almost forgot that this is a webpage discussing the cost of living lol
Anonymous on Mar 06, 2023:
China is like an open wound full of infection waiting to be boiled out.No worries though a nuke will clean all of the infected Chinese including north korea south Korea Japan Vietnam all of Asia needs to be disinfected with a really hot fire.Help is on the way soon no worries.Ah the smell of burning flesh is invigorating, slendid.
Just regular visitor on Feb 25, 2023:
LOL

Open pits in Shanghai to burn bodies? Oh my god, I think you need to see a psychologist haha
Anonymous on Jan 01, 2023:
It's a very grim situation in China to say the least unfortunately.By the end of 2023 china's population is expected to shrink by 700 million less people and that's a conservative figure.
Anonymous on Jan 01, 2023:
The situation is so bad the dead are being burned in open pits by the thousands and all bodies from the morgues too.So far Chinese government is working around the clock digging more open pits to burn the dead.
Anonymous on Jan 01, 2023:
All morgues are way over capacity and funeral homes all hospitals cannot handle anymore patients instead turning people away including emergency rooms no more rooms are available.
Anonymous on Jan 01, 2023:
Just in eastern china over 267,000 new infections within the past two days.once the lunar new year arrives numbers are expected to spike another 71% The 130 new strains of Omnicron are untreatable fatalities are imminent unfortunately.
Anonymous on Jan 01, 2023:
500,000 new infections just in Shanghai 130 new Omnicron strains highly contagious causing white lung infections. The actual figures aren't being released but it's 37% more.Lockdowns have been discontinued throughout china over the past 3 months.
Anonymous on Jan 01, 2023:
Currently news as of December 29 2022.

248 million new infections throughout china 500,000 new infections within 57 hours
Anonymous on Nov 08, 2022:
Lockdowns aren't the only reasons people don't want to move to china anymore.All former investors lost big time on their investments not only foreigners but Chinese citizens too.Xi is already worrying people who have money in China.Their assets have been frozen and they cannot transfer those assets out of China or even control their assets anymore.
Anonymous on Nov 06, 2022:
This is all academic because nobody wants to move to China anymore due to their crazy lockdowns.
Havugimana Lambert on Aug 28, 2022:
Living in Shanghai town is cheaper than living in London city
Anonymous on Aug 27, 2022:
guys, you really need to be smarter to make big comments on politics. CCCP is the abbreviation for Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, AKA Soviet Russia. Abbreviation for Chinese Communist Party is CCP, or officially CPC. Neither of you two genius get it right, still you talk like that you know better than anyone, oh cmon :p
Politics are complicated, at least what youtube offers don't cover much. For the Christ sake, shut your clown show
Anonymous on Aug 09, 2022:
I visited Shanghai for 10 days July 2018.The most unorganized city I've ever visited.
Anonymous on Jul 09, 2022:
China has destroyed its economy by putting real-estate as its main economic driver which is currently setting at 70% negatively.Many ghost cities have been built nobody living in them and uncompleted only the outer shell for astethics,but nothing else inside of those buildings not even walls I've seen them before over the years.

So many unpaid loans and many defaults on loans never making one payment.Like Russia China bluffs continously bragging but there's nothing to brag about. But instead failure poor planning and a huge ageing ageing population meaning certain failure.The China one policy has bitten to the bone there's no getting around it.
Anonymous on May 16, 2022:
quote: "waiting for the u s military to kill them all"
oh really? so they are done with Afghanistan, aren't they?
Anonymous on Mar 29, 2022:
As a ordinary people worked in Shanghai for 6 years, I could tell you more about the cost of living in Shanghai.

First of all, there is a big cost difference between the area of city center and the area outside of center. It is easy to notice the difference by comparing the house price and rent price between the two areas. Furthermore,the rent also cost the biggest part ( almost 40%-60%) in the monthly expenses. So, a simple way to judge if your salary could let you live well in Shanghai is that if your salary double the rent cost of your working or living place. For example, if your salary is 15,000 RMB and you live in city center, you could have a happy time working in Shanghai.

Secondly, if you cannot get enough salary, there is still many ways to live well. China's e-commerce is so popular and developed that you can easily get low-price products, such as clothing and shoes, almost all articles for daily use, much lower than the price showed on this website.

Finally, there is at least 3 reasons to recommend you to cook by yourself. Cooking at home cost less than half the price of having a lunch in an inexpensive restaurant. Food safety is a serious public concern among China society of which the current situation has been better and well managed in recent years. However, it's still not recommended to often eat outside. And, Chinese cuisine is rich and varied which has developed over thousand years. Why not have a try on cooking your own Chinese food which is a typical traditional culture of China treasured by almost every Chinese people.

Hope my advice could help and welcome to Shanghai.

P.S. Forget my poor English.
Anonymous on Feb 19, 2022:
Xi along with the cccp has not only buried china's economy they've also made enemies worldwide. Remember how badly Vietnam beat up Chinese soldiers and how inexperienced Chinese military is. Nobody wants to trade with China anymore for obvious reasons many negative reasons. But no worries the u s military will hand China their asses in more ways than one. Chinas products are garbage always has been everyone knows that
Anonymous on Sep 01, 2021:
the prices can be various in such a large range.
let's take an example: foreigners go to cityshop high-end supermarket to buy eggs, each may cost from CNY 1.5 ~ 3.5. then local resident go to fresh market, egg cost from CNY 3.5 ~ 5.6 per kg, which usually is only 20% ~ 25% price comparing to the price in fancy places.

most of the data here are input from foreigners or migrants, they don't really live in the city, just come for making big money & then go back to hometown. So it does not fully reflect the reality for local residents' life.
Anonymous on Jul 28, 2021:
Hi, there, as you can see, there're some arrogrant and devil voice here.
I wish those people never step in China, even when their country is in chaos, war or the allign country betray them and start to invade their country, gov is a sh*t, please don't ask Chinese gov's help or accept Chinses recouces.
and don't use the products made in China, dont's use app, high tech from China, please insist to be blind, poor and arrogant, open the telly and know th world from your media, lol.
Achmed on Jul 24, 2021:
Hi, I come to china for a chinese wife and a job paying 20k at least. Tanks.
Massimiliano Catani on May 13, 2021:
I lived 6 years in Shanghai and the cost of an apartment rent for three bedrooms starts from CNY 30.000 and not CNY 18.000
王刘 on May 12, 2021:
Its little expensive shanghai compare other city so bring extra cash for 1 person 15000¥ is ok for 1 month foreigners very welcome here except if you american you not welcome and will be send back in airport and big fine
Anonymous on Jan 21, 2021:
Shanghai like the rest of China is feeling not only the heat from sanctions from many countries but it's very existence is on the line.All countries are now looking at China under an economic microscope and they should.China spares no country when it comes to stolen patents and also debt traps.
Although I don't have any hatred for any Chinese citizens many do and they shouldn't. Remember Chinese citizens are feeling the brunt of the CCP daily.China is on the road to decimation and after the pandemic has cost so many lives globally and needlessly that forced people around the world to view China much differently for good reasons.Loved ones gone forever never being able to share laughter and life with them is a big price to pay for the CCP heartless greed and zero respect for all of mankind.
Anonymous on Jan 10, 2021:
I believe MARKET is extinct for Shanghai or anywhere in China. A returning MARKET throughout China may not return for many years if ever.I believe there'll be massive defectors from China however it's doubtful any countries would accept the Chinese because their word isn't good.I lived in Shanghai as an expat 8 years up until August 2020 and I can honestly say things are bleak economy wise to say the least. I'm not labeling all Chinese citizens but most everyone around the world has trust issues which is understood especially with all the secrecy surrounding the pandemic.When I left China August 2020 there was mass histeria which is understandable especially with everything shutdown.
Questions on Dec 17, 2020:
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Shanghai

What does "Market" mean in the section of "Distribution of expenses using our statistical model"?
Luci on Jun 21, 2020:
hi, my name is isabella, i'm 22 years old i'm from brazil, but my real dream is to live in china, shanghai or beijing, i'm a nursing technician, but i work as a caregiver for the elderly and wanted to at some point after being well established go to nursing school, i'm taking english class through an application, i don't know how to speak anything in chinese, i really wanted to learn, i would live alone, i don't need much, would it be too expensive? could i live? would there be work for me?