Chengdu vs Shanghai - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chengdu Shanghai
🚶 Cost of living one person
$666
$1126
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1735
$3097
🏠 One person rent
$281
$600
🏘️ Family rent
$485
$1068
🍽️ Food expenses
$235
$293
🚐 Transport expenses
$81.2
$108
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1050
$879
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
13 km
🎓 Higher education
89
99
😀 Quality of life
75
75
🏙️ Population
20.9M
24.9M

The cost of living in Chengdu is 41% less expensive than in Shanghai. Cities ranked 7467th and 4971st ($666 vs $1126) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 88th and 5th in China.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.6 months in Chengdu compared to 0.8 months in Shanghai. Ranked 5th vs 4th best cities to live in China, and 1710th vs 1655th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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Prices in Chengdu vs Shanghai

Prices for goods and services in Chengdu and Shanghai are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Chengdu Shanghai
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$2.83
$5.01
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$22
$36.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$4.93
$5.51
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.61
$1.69
☕ Cappuccino
$3.33
$3.77
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.47
$0.54
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$362
$803
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$207
$486
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$663
$1462
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$367
$880
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$30.6
$37.5
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$46.5
$58.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$12.7
$13
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.77%
3.34%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3917
$14215
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2027
$7113
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.43
$0.47
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$23.4
$30.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$3.67
$6.45
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.15
$1.15
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.95
$1.94
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.68
$1.8
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.19
$1.3
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.73
$1.79
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.9
$16.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.73
$3.91
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11
$11.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.91
$2.35
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.25
$1.74
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.78
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.12
$1.76
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.73
$0.89
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.72
$1.04
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.42
$0.45
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.25
$1.27
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$9.92
$12.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.81
$0.92
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.4
$3.46
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$4.26
$6.19
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.14
$6.91
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.46
$2.07
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.66
$2.21
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$30
$61.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$5.89
$7.84
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$23
$94.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$6.43
$12
👖 Brand Jeans
$40.8
$50.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$67.7
$78.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$286
$1114
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$13059
$27781

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chengdu

Distance City Cost of living
38 km or 24 mi Chongzhou
$625
38 km or 24 mi Pengzhou
$617
41 km or 25 mi Guanghan
$600
53 km or 33 mi Shifang
$584
55 km or 34 mi Jianyang
$621
56 km or 35 mi Dujiangyan
$612
60 km or 38 mi Deyang
$588
65 km or 40 mi Qionglai
$611
71 km or 44 mi Meishan
$629
77 km or 48 mi Mianzhu
$566
81 km or 50 mi Ziyang
$628
110 km or 68 mi Mianyang
$540
124 km or 77 mi Leshan
$595
127 km or 79 mi Ya'an
$598
127 km or 79 mi Shehong
$576
131 km or 81 mi Emeishan
$581
139 km or 87 mi Jiangyou
$553
145 km or 90 mi Suining
$595
153 km or 95 mi Neijiang
$679
161 km or 100 mi Zigong
$607
188 km or 117 mi Longchang
$612
193 km or 120 mi Nanchong
$572
208 km or 129 mi Langzhong
$564
219 km or 136 mi Yibin
$599
237 km or 148 mi Luzhou
$600
247 km or 153 mi Guang'an
$608
259 km or 161 mi Guangyuan
$606
261 km or 162 mi Huaying
$581
265 km or 165 mi Chongqing
$601
288 km or 179 mi Bazhong
$627
333 km or 207 mi Dazhou
$612
341 km or 212 mi Longnan
$615
353 km or 220 mi Xichang
$596
372 km or 231 mi Zhaotong
$603
388 km or 241 mi Hanzhong
$687
390 km or 243 mi Renhuai
$566
392 km or 244 mi Bijie
$591
408 km or 253 mi Wanyuan
$594
431 km or 268 mi Zunyi
$578
459 km or 285 mi Liupanshui
$580

Cities near Shanghai

Distance City Cost of living
9.4 km or 5.8 mi Pudong
$1002
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$669
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$696
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$701
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$782
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$594
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$620
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$644
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$557
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$667
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$683
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$643
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$650
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$584
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$671
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$636
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$680
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$684
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$623
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$646
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$860
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$636
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$647
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$652
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$611
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$652
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$604
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$675
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$678
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$525
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$618
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$626
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$644
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$667
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$677
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$601
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$661
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$665
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$632
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$765