Chengdu vs Shanghai - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chengdu Shanghai
🚶 Cost of living one person
$688
$1147
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1806
$3146
🏠 One person rent
$297
$636
🏘️ Family rent
$512
$1119
🍽️ Food expenses
$237
$279
🚐 Transport expenses
$83.8
$105
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1237
$1068
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
13 km
🎓 Higher education
89
99
😀 Quality of life
76
76
🏙️ Population
20.9M
24.9M

The cost of living in Chengdu is 40% less expensive than in Shanghai. Cities ranked 7360th and 4880th ($688 vs $1147) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 75th and 5th in China.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chengdu compared to 0.9 months in Shanghai. Ranked 6th vs 5th best cities to live in China, and 1238th vs 1178th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Share this picture

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
$4.42
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$22.7
$30.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.15
$5.19
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.81
$1.44
☕ Cappuccino
$3.49
$3.21
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.51
$0.57
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$390
$849
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$218
$520
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$707
$1495
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$386
$937
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$31.8
$38.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$48.8
$59.3
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$12.7
$11.2
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.62%
3.19%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3816
$14068
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1941
$6729
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.5
$0.54
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$23.6
$29.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$3.82
$5.76
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.19
$1.23
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.88
$2.14
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.74
$1.81
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.18
$1.1
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.58
$1.87
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.4
$16.7
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.54
$3.33
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.1
$13
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.76
$2.43
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.27
$1.87
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.08
$1.84
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.17
$1.75
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.71
$0.83
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.71
$0.94
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.39
$0.45
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.35
$1.31
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$10.4
$11.8
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.83
$0.9
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.48
$2.95
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$4.33
$6.37
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.2
$7.05
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.51
$2.11
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.69
$2.24
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$26.9
$70.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$5.96
$8.79
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$23.2
$98.8
💇 Haircut, simple
$7.25
$12
👖 Brand Jeans
$42.4
$46.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$70.8
$71.7
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$325
$1268
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$14789
$27610

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chengdu

Distance City Cost of living
38 km or 24 mi Chongzhou
$641
38 km or 24 mi Pengzhou
$635
41 km or 25 mi Guanghan
$615
53 km or 33 mi Shifang
$600
55 km or 34 mi Jianyang
$640
56 km or 35 mi Dujiangyan
$629
60 km or 38 mi Deyang
$600
65 km or 40 mi Qionglai
$631
71 km or 44 mi Meishan
$647
77 km or 48 mi Mianzhu
$579
81 km or 50 mi Ziyang
$643
110 km or 68 mi Mianyang
$549
124 km or 77 mi Leshan
$612
127 km or 79 mi Ya'an
$614
127 km or 79 mi Shehong
$587
131 km or 81 mi Emeishan
$598
139 km or 87 mi Jiangyou
$563
145 km or 90 mi Suining
$608
153 km or 95 mi Neijiang
$701
161 km or 100 mi Zigong
$625
188 km or 117 mi Longchang
$629
193 km or 120 mi Nanchong
$588
208 km or 129 mi Langzhong
$575
219 km or 136 mi Yibin
$615
237 km or 148 mi Luzhou
$618
247 km or 153 mi Guang'an
$625
259 km or 161 mi Guangyuan
$616
261 km or 162 mi Huaying
$595
265 km or 165 mi Chongqing
$631
288 km or 179 mi Bazhong
$640
333 km or 207 mi Dazhou
$630
341 km or 212 mi Longnan
$629
353 km or 220 mi Xichang
$605
372 km or 231 mi Zhaotong
$618
388 km or 241 mi Hanzhong
$697
390 km or 243 mi Renhuai
$577
392 km or 244 mi Bijie
$606
408 km or 253 mi Wanyuan
$602
431 km or 268 mi Zunyi
$594
459 km or 285 mi Liupanshui
$594

Cities near Shanghai

Distance City Cost of living
9.4 km or 5.8 mi Pudong
$1030
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$708
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$726
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$725
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$798
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$596
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$643
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$678
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$581
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$652
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$686
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$680
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$658
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$571
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$660
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$645
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$670
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$663
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$636
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$659
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$899
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$651
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$664
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$657
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$627
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$667
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$623
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$693
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$691
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$538
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$623
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$644
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$661
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$696
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$693
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$620
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$677
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$684
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$644
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$789