Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Beijing 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Beijing is 6.1% lower than in Shanghai (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Beijing is 7.3% lower than in Shanghai | |
| Rent Prices in Beijing are 9.6% lower than in Shanghai | |
| Restaurant Prices in Beijing are 16.5% lower than in Shanghai | |
| Groceries Prices in Beijing are 4.8% lower than in Shanghai | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Beijing is 0.5% higher than in Shanghai | |
Restaurants | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 35.00 ¥ | 30.00 ¥ | -14.3 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 275.00 ¥ | 200.00 ¥ | -27.3 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 40.00 ¥ | 35.75 ¥ | -10.6 % |
| 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) | 25.09 ¥ | 24.02 ¥ | -4.2 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.93 ¥ | 3.13 ¥ | -20.3 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.49 ¥ | 2.17 ¥ | -12.9 % |
Markets | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 56.80 ¥ | 47.24 ¥ | -16.8 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 12.54 ¥ | 10.30 ¥ | -17.9 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.26 ¥ | 3.49 ¥ | +6.9 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 11.79 ¥ | 12.30 ¥ | +4.3 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 49.90 ¥ | 47.23 ¥ | -5.4 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 10.06 ¥ | 10.61 ¥ | +5.5 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 34.45 ¥ | 31.71 ¥ | -8.0 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 7.35 ¥ | 6.91 ¥ | -5.9 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 5.28 ¥ | 5.30 ¥ | +0.3 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 5.47 ¥ | 5.84 ¥ | +6.7 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 4.68 ¥ | 4.23 ¥ | -9.5 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 2.71 ¥ | 2.69 ¥ | -0.7 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 3.69 ¥ | 3.13 ¥ | -15.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 4.65 ¥ | 5.14 ¥ | +10.5 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 4.34 ¥ | 3.83 ¥ | -11.8 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 90.00 ¥ | 69.00 ¥ | -23.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 5.74 ¥ | 6.02 ¥ | +4.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 11.21 ¥ | 12.40 ¥ | +10.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 20.00 ¥ | 25.00 ¥ | +25.0 % |
Transportation | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 4.00 ¥ | 5.00 ¥ | +25.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 235.00 ¥ | 225.00 ¥ | -4.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 16.00 ¥ | 13.00 ¥ | -18.8 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.83 ¥ | 4.02 ¥ | -16.7 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 60.00 ¥ | 80.00 ¥ | +33.3 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 30.21 ¥ | 30.79 ¥ | +1.9 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 140,000.00 ¥ | 134,000.00 ¥ | -4.3 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 125,292.19 ¥ | 113,011.11 ¥ | -9.8 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 375.90 ¥ | 385.58 ¥ | +2.6 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 70.42 ¥ | 62.62 ¥ | -11.1 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 107.64 ¥ | 91.93 ¥ | -14.6 % |
Sports And Leisure | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 366.15 ¥ | 377.53 ¥ | +3.1 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 138.56 ¥ | 135.62 ¥ | -2.1 % |
| 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 | 9,101.28 ¥ | 4,993.47 ¥ | -45.1 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 226,200.00 ¥ | 172,583.33 ¥ | -23.7 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 435.54 ¥ | 431.22 ¥ | -1.0 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 256.46 ¥ | 255.25 ¥ | -0.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 574.96 ¥ | 560.20 ¥ | -2.6 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 707.87 ¥ | 693.81 ¥ | -2.0 % |
Rent Per Month | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 6,785.71 ¥ | 6,472.00 ¥ | -4.6 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 3,953.33 ¥ | 3,626.27 ¥ | -8.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 17,125.00 ¥ | 14,839.29 ¥ | -13.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 8,464.29 ¥ | 7,920.00 ¥ | -6.4 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 9,891.07 ¥ | 9,751.89 ¥ | -1.4 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 5,161.24 ¥ | 4,459.31 ¥ | -13.6 % |
Salaries And Financing | Shanghai Edit |
Beijing Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 10,781.76 ¥ | 10,049.47 ¥ | -6.8 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 3.62 | 3.65 | +0.8 % |
| Last update: | May 2025 | May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 226 | 211 |
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 Yuyao | 107.54 miles |
Cities near Beijing: | Cost of Living in Langfang | 38.75 miles |
| Cost of Living in Tianjin | 82.60 miles |
| Cost of Living in Tangshan | 117.94 miles |
| Cost of Living in Ulanqab | 225.59 miles |