Shanghai vs Suzhou - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Shanghai Suzhou
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1190
$1020
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3757
$3221
🏠 One person rent
$635
$359
🏘️ Family rent
$1613
$739
🍽️ Food expenses
$308
$431
🚐 Transport expenses
$117
$100
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1455
$949
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
19 km
🎓 Higher education
100
70
😀 Quality of life
78
68
🏙️ Population
24.9M
12.7M

The cost of living in Shanghai is 17% more expensive than in Suzhou. Cities ranked 4461st and 5170th ($1190 vs $1020) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 6th and 11th in China.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.2 months in Shanghai compared to 0.9 months in Suzhou. Ranked 4th vs 27th best cities to live in China, and 558th vs 3722nd among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Shanghai vs Suzhou infographic

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Prices in Shanghai vs Suzhou

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

Shanghai Suzhou
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$4.9
$4.21
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$40.7
$63.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.69
$6.17
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.7
$4.6
 Cappuccino
$3.83
$4.78
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.55
$1.69
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$901
$466
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$497
$243
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2595
$1276
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1269
$479
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$39.1
$57.8
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$60.5
$87.7
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$17.9
$12.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.77%
4.79%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$17366
$5502
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$9346
$4232
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.56
$0.42
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$37.3
$32.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6
$4.67
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.19
$1.18
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.55
$2.81
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.02
$3.3
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.47
$1.78
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.21
$3.35
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.3
$15.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.12
$6.06
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.8
$18.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.27
$2.87
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.65
$2.53
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.97
$3.83
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.52
$1.89
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.96
$1.3
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.04
$1.66
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.39
$0.81
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.25
$1.71
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.7
$28.4
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.9
$1.08
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.45
$6
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.43
$12.8
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.06
$5.34
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.68
$1.46
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2
$1.99
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$69.1
$69.7
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.16
$10
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$89.7
$71.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$12
$7.24
👖 Brand Jeans
$66.7
$82.7
👟 Brand Sneakers
$78.5
$96.1
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1283
$1756
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$28143
$22097

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Shanghai

Distance City Cost of living
9.4 km or 5.8 mi Pudong
$1074
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$731
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$771
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$763
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$1020
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$596
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$682
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$731
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$651
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$678
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$687
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$699
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$688
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$690
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$677
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$675
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$755
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$707
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$713
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$682
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$831
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$665
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$679
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$694
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$625
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$707
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$625
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$651
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$703
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$524
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$631
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$645
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$720
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$725
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$696
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$617
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$719
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$789
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$652
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$740

Cities near Suzhou

Distance City Cost of living
35 km or 22 mi Kunshan
$771
40 km or 25 mi Changshu
$731
43 km or 27 mi Wuxi
$687
49 km or 31 mi Taicang
$731
63 km or 39 mi Jiaxing
$596
64 km or 40 mi Zhangjiagang
$678
69 km or 43 mi Huzhou
$699
75 km or 47 mi Jiangyin
$688
76 km or 47 mi Yixing
$707
80 km or 50 mi Nantong
$651
82 km or 51 mi Shanghai
$1190
83 km or 52 mi Changzhou
$713
84 km or 52 mi Haimen
$682
85 km or 53 mi Jingjiang
$675
88 km or 55 mi Pudong
$1074
109 km or 68 mi Liyang
$694
112 km or 70 mi Taixing
$665
114 km or 71 mi Qidong
$763
120 km or 75 mi Rugao
$682
123 km or 77 mi Guangde
$707
125 km or 78 mi Hangzhou
$831
125 km or 78 mi Danyang
$625
129 km or 80 mi Yangzhong
$625
137 km or 85 mi Hai'an
$679
145 km or 90 mi Shaoxing
$755
148 km or 92 mi Taizhou
$651
149 km or 93 mi Zhenjiang
$524
156 km or 97 mi Jurong
$645
164 km or 102 mi Yangzhou
$631
173 km or 107 mi Ningguo
$720
175 km or 109 mi Yizheng
$617
175 km or 109 mi Dongtai
$703
182 km or 113 mi Xuancheng
$789
182 km or 113 mi Ningbo
$677
194 km or 120 mi Nanjing
$740
196 km or 122 mi Xinghua
$696
198 km or 123 mi Gaoyou
$652
202 km or 125 mi Zhoushan
$690
214 km or 133 mi Wuhu
$898
216 km or 134 mi Tianchang
$645