Shanghai vs Tokyo - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Shanghai Tokyo
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1136
$1641
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3654
$4326
🏠 One person rent
$602
$803
🏘️ Family rent
$1527
$1741
🍽️ Food expenses
$293
$438
🚐 Transport expenses
$116
$287
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1905
$2601
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
79
99
🏙️ Population
24.9M
14.3M

The cost of living in Shanghai is 31% less expensive than in Tokyo. Cities ranked 4780th and 3085th ($1136 vs $1641) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 6th and 4th in China and Japan, respectively. Check China vs Japan comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in Shanghai compared to 1.6 months in Tokyo. Shanghai ranked 4th best city to live in China vs Tokyo ranked 1st in Japan, while ranked 571st and 3rd among best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Shanghai vs Tokyo infographic

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Prices in Shanghai vs Tokyo

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

Shanghai Tokyo
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$3.99
$6.38
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$42.8
$44.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.51
$5.64
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.43
$3.79
☕ Cappuccino
$3.61
$3.61
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.53
$1.19
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$897
$1054
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$461
$567
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2549
$2732
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1181
$1247
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$36.3
$105
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$56.1
$164
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$16.9
$33.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.28%
1.86%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$16156
$10740
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$8893
$5460
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.57
$1.55
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$36.1
$57.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6.13
$28.3
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.19
$1.25
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.41
$1.63
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.99
$1.53
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.41
$3.08
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.11
$2.27
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.8
$16.7
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.46
$7.61
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.4
$22.5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.33
$4.88
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.64
$2.6
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.05
$6
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.7
$5.02
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.98
$2.85
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.07
$2.91
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.37
$0.6
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.32
$1.46
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$11.2
$8.22
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.86
$2.25
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.51
$4.18
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.62
$10.4
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.04
$3.45
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.72
$1.47
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.03
$1.5
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$55
$66.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.47
$13.5
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$90.7
$25.9
💇 Haircut, simple
$11.9
$23.1
👖 Brand Jeans
$58.2
$56
👟 Brand Sneakers
$78.6
$66
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1263
$574
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$31401
$15495

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
$1028
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$706
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$749
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$738
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$1020
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$585
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$661
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$718
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$620
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$676
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$686
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$706
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$685
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$612
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$733
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$674
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$742
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$702
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$729
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$674
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$843
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$665
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$676
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$690
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$629
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$698
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$630
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$673
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$698
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$538
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$650
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$651
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$703
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$708
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$699
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$617
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$702
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$771
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$648
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$774

Cities near Tokyo

Distance City Cost of living
12 km or 7.3 mi Musashino
$1121
12 km or 7.4 mi Komae
$1112
12 km or 7.5 mi Mitaka
$1133
13 km or 8 mi Wako
$1059
13 km or 8.4 mi Kawaguchi
$1056
14 km or 8.5 mi Hirai
$1090
14 km or 8.9 mi Toda
$980
14 km or 8.9 mi Chofu
$1124
14 km or 9 mi Nishitokyo
$1113
15 km or 9.3 mi Asaka
$1038
15 km or 9.4 mi Warabi
$964
16 km or 10 mi Niiza
$1061
17 km or 10 mi Higashikurume
$1079
17 km or 11 mi Koganei
$1084
18 km or 11 mi Kawasaki-ku
$1080
18 km or 11 mi Inagi
$1071
18 km or 11 mi Soka
$1077
18 km or 11 mi Kiyose
$1062
19 km or 12 mi Shiki
$1000
19 km or 12 mi Kawasaki
$1187
19 km or 12 mi Urayasu
$1096
20 km or 12 mi Fuchu
$1106
20 km or 12 mi Saitama
$1038
20 km or 12 mi Kodaira
$1095
20 km or 12 mi Yashio
$1050
21 km or 13 mi Kokubunji
$1075
21 km or 13 mi Higashimurayama
$1078
21 km or 13 mi Miyoshi
$1037
22 km or 14 mi Ichikawa
$1119
22 km or 14 mi Matsudo
$1106
23 km or 14 mi Misato
$1052
23 km or 14 mi Fujimi
$1016
23 km or 14 mi Kunitachi
$1073
23 km or 14 mi Tama
$1057
24 km or 15 mi Tokorozawa
$1109
24 km or 15 mi Koshigaya
$1116
25 km or 15 mi Tachikawa
$1092
25 km or 15 mi Higashiyamato
$1075
26 km or 16 mi Yoshikawa
$1060
26 km or 16 mi Fujimino
$1033