Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Beijing 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Beijing are 10.2% lower than in Shanghai (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Beijing are 11.4% lower than in Shanghai | |
| Rent Prices in Beijing are 13.3% lower than in Shanghai | |
| Restaurant Prices in Beijing are 17.0% lower than in Shanghai | |
| Groceries Prices in Beijing are 14.4% lower than in Shanghai | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Beijing is 44.2% higher than in Shanghai | |
Restaurants | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 40.00 ¥ | 35.00 ¥ | -12.5 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 279.00 ¥ | 200.00 ¥ | -28.3 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 40.00 ¥ | 40.00 ¥ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 10.00 ¥ | 9.50 ¥ | -5.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 30.00 ¥ | 20.00 ¥ | -33.3 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 27.95 ¥ | 26.95 ¥ | -3.6 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.93 ¥ | 3.55 ¥ | -9.5 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.57 ¥ | 2.16 ¥ | -15.9 % |
Markets | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 64.89 ¥ | 51.73 ¥ | -20.3 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 15.07 ¥ | 11.16 ¥ | -25.9 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.75 ¥ | 3.90 ¥ | +3.8 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 13.75 ¥ | 12.89 ¥ | -6.2 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 60.95 ¥ | 43.48 ¥ | -28.7 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 13.65 ¥ | 11.70 ¥ | -14.3 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 41.18 ¥ | 35.19 ¥ | -14.5 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 7.59 ¥ | 6.99 ¥ | -7.8 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 5.30 ¥ | 6.15 ¥ | +16.0 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 6.91 ¥ | 6.74 ¥ | -2.4 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 5.11 ¥ | 4.44 ¥ | -13.1 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 2.96 ¥ | 2.85 ¥ | -3.6 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 3.58 ¥ | 3.49 ¥ | -2.5 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 6.77 ¥ | 6.02 ¥ | -11.0 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 4.14 ¥ | 3.74 ¥ | -9.7 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 99.00 ¥ | 75.00 ¥ | -24.2 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 6.42 ¥ | 6.85 ¥ | +6.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 13.54 ¥ | 14.39 ¥ | +6.3 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 25.00 ¥ | 26.00 ¥ | +4.0 % |
Transportation | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 4.00 ¥ | 5.00 ¥ | +25.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 250.00 ¥ | 300.00 ¥ | +20.0 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 16.00 ¥ | 13.00 ¥ | -18.8 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.83 ¥ | 4.18 ¥ | -13.3 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 60.00 ¥ | 80.00 ¥ | +33.3 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 32.80 ¥ | 32.75 ¥ | -0.1 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 150,000.00 ¥ | 160,000.00 ¥ | +6.7 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 134,062.50 ¥ | 151,568.18 ¥ | +13.1 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 475.25 ¥ | 403.88 ¥ | -15.0 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 103.67 ¥ | 77.86 ¥ | -24.9 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 115.62 ¥ | 106.61 ¥ | -7.8 % |
Sports And Leisure | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 490.58 ¥ | 366.04 ¥ | -25.4 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 108.81 ¥ | 208.64 ¥ | +91.7 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 70.00 ¥ | 50.00 ¥ | -28.6 % |
Childcare | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 9,065.15 ¥ | 6,313.85 ¥ | -30.4 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 194,714.29 ¥ | 192,272.73 ¥ | -1.3 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 463.77 ¥ | 416.57 ¥ | -10.2 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 256.09 ¥ | 251.20 ¥ | -1.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 523.69 ¥ | 614.34 ¥ | +17.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 799.54 ¥ | 829.08 ¥ | +3.7 % |
Rent Per Month | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 6,500.00 ¥ | 6,541.38 ¥ | +0.6 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 3,820.59 ¥ | 4,087.80 ¥ | +7.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 20,310.34 ¥ | 16,344.83 ¥ | -19.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 10,568.97 ¥ | 8,727.03 ¥ | -17.4 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 12,300.95 ¥ | 10,864.21 ¥ | -11.7 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 6,263.57 ¥ | 5,377.45 ¥ | -14.1 % |
Salaries And Financing | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 10,244.49 ¥ | 13,089.64 ¥ | +27.8 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.83 | 4.55 | -5.8 % |
| Last update: | September 2023 | October 2023 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 261 | 247 |
Moving to Shanghai? Explore:
Moving to Beijing? Explore:
Cities near Shanghai: | Cost of Living in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu | 32.06 miles |
| Cost of Living in Suzhou | 60.57 miles |
| Cost of Living in Jiaxing | 61.36 miles |
| Cost of Living in Luzhou | 62.03 miles |
| Cost of Living in Changshu | 64.40 miles |
| Cost of Living in Nantong | 78.78 miles |
| Cost of Living in Zhangjiagang | 81.62 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wuxi | 82.00 miles |
| Cost of Living in Huzhou | 92.74 miles |
| Cost of Living in Jiangyin | 96.30 miles |
Cities near Beijing: | Cost of Living in Langfang | 38.75 miles |
| Cost of Living in Tianjin | 82.60 miles |