Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Beijing 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Beijing is 6.0% lower than in Shanghai (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Beijing is 9.0% lower than in Shanghai | |
| Rent Prices in Beijing are 14.8% lower than in Shanghai | |
| Restaurant Prices in Beijing are 8.3% lower than in Shanghai | |
| Groceries Prices in Beijing are 9.3% lower than in Shanghai | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Beijing is 5.2% higher than in Shanghai | |
Restaurants | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 31.40 ¥ | 30.00 ¥ | -4.5 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 250.00 ¥ | 200.00 ¥ | -20.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 40.00 ¥ | 40.00 ¥ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 10.00 ¥ | 8.00 ¥ | -20.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 20.00 ¥ | 15.00 ¥ | -25.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 25.45 ¥ | 26.17 ¥ | +2.8 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.87 ¥ | 3.53 ¥ | -8.9 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.34 ¥ | 2.20 ¥ | -6.0 % |
Markets | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 59.92 ¥ | 49.75 ¥ | -17.0 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 12.79 ¥ | 9.62 ¥ | -24.8 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.64 ¥ | 4.06 ¥ | +11.4 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 11.83 ¥ | 12.97 ¥ | +9.6 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 54.89 ¥ | 48.91 ¥ | -10.9 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 10.95 ¥ | 10.86 ¥ | -0.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 36.67 ¥ | 32.40 ¥ | -11.6 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 7.36 ¥ | 6.72 ¥ | -8.6 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 5.39 ¥ | 5.20 ¥ | -3.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 6.26 ¥ | 6.33 ¥ | +1.0 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 5.16 ¥ | 4.17 ¥ | -19.1 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 2.98 ¥ | 2.69 ¥ | -9.7 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 3.56 ¥ | 3.56 ¥ | +0.1 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 6.05 ¥ | 5.60 ¥ | -7.5 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 4.18 ¥ | 3.81 ¥ | -8.8 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 80.00 ¥ | 59.00 ¥ | -26.2 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 5.91 ¥ | 6.28 ¥ | +6.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 11.55 ¥ | 12.80 ¥ | +10.8 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 25.00 ¥ | 25.00 ¥ | 0.0 % |
Transportation | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 4.00 ¥ | 5.00 ¥ | +25.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 250.00 ¥ | 240.00 ¥ | -4.0 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 16.00 ¥ | 13.00 ¥ | -18.8 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.59 ¥ | 3.93 ¥ | -14.4 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 60.00 ¥ | 85.00 ¥ | +41.7 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 31.52 ¥ | 31.26 ¥ | -0.8 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 148,800.00 ¥ | 150,000.00 ¥ | +0.8 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 130,645.34 ¥ | 128,157.89 ¥ | -1.9 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 408.53 ¥ | 394.76 ¥ | -3.4 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 78.32 ¥ | 67.03 ¥ | -14.4 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 110.99 ¥ | 97.14 ¥ | -12.5 % |
Sports And Leisure | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 401.37 ¥ | 453.23 ¥ | +12.9 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 137.20 ¥ | 177.22 ¥ | +29.2 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 60.00 ¥ | 60.00 ¥ | 0.0 % |
Childcare | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 8,313.33 ¥ | 5,493.54 ¥ | -33.9 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 228,043.48 ¥ | 164,666.67 ¥ | -27.8 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 438.16 ¥ | 436.16 ¥ | -0.5 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 277.36 ¥ | 247.50 ¥ | -10.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 564.45 ¥ | 576.12 ¥ | +2.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 694.50 ¥ | 778.69 ¥ | +12.1 % |
Rent Per Month | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 7,034.85 ¥ | 6,673.11 ¥ | -5.1 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 3,774.36 ¥ | 3,575.34 ¥ | -5.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 19,097.06 ¥ | 15,137.93 ¥ | -20.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 9,096.77 ¥ | 7,863.64 ¥ | -13.6 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 10,673.43 ¥ | 9,637.32 ¥ | -9.7 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 5,547.59 ¥ | 4,653.13 ¥ | -16.1 % |
Salaries And Financing | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 12,727.79 ¥ | 12,183.11 ¥ | -4.3 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.03 | 3.97 | -1.7 % |
| Last update: | December 2024 | December 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 288 | 242 |
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 Changshu | 63.97 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 |
| Cost of Living in Changzhou | 109.85 miles |
Cities near Beijing: | Cost of Living in Langfang | 38.75 miles |
| Cost of Living in Tianjin | 82.60 miles |