Shanghai vs Tokyo - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Shanghai Tokyo
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1147
$1679
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3146
$4119
🏠 One person rent
$636
$813
🏘️ Family rent
$1119
$1422
🍽️ Food expenses
$279
$448
🚐 Transport expenses
$105
$307
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1068
$2429
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
99
100
😀 Quality of life
76
96
🏙️ Population
24.9M
14.3M

The cost of living in Shanghai is 32% less expensive than in Tokyo. Cities ranked 4880th and 3273rd ($1147 vs $1679) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 5th and 3rd in China and Japan, respectively. Check China vs Japan comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.9 months in Shanghai compared to 1.4 months in Tokyo. Shanghai ranked 5th best city to live in China vs Tokyo ranked 1st in Japan, while ranked 1178th and 9th among best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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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
$4.42
$7.52
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$30.3
$43.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.19
$4.99
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.44
$3.71
☕ Cappuccino
$3.21
$3.41
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.57
$1.41
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$849
$1130
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$520
$583
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1495
$2080
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$937
$1045
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$38.3
$90.6
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$59.3
$140
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$11.2
$30.2
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.19%
1.87%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$14068
$10558
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6729
$5002
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.54
$1.3
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$29.4
$76.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$5.76
$28.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.23
$1.08
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.14
$1.51
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.81
$1.58
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.1
$5.4
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.87
$2.27
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$16.7
$11.7
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.33
$7.38
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13
$19.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.43
$4.99
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.87
$2.61
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.84
$4.41
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.75
$6.21
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.83
$3.64
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.94
$3.43
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.45
$0.56
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.31
$1.3
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$11.8
$9.42
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.9
$1.76
🚬 Cigarette pack
$2.95
$3.89
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.37
$10.4
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.05
$3.17
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.11
$1.37
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.24
$1.36
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$70.6
$63.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.79
$12.5
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$98.8
$40.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$12
$21
👖 Brand Jeans
$46.1
$49.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$71.7
$56.3
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1268
$688
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$27610
$17493

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
$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

Cities near Tokyo

Distance City Cost of living
12 km or 7.3 mi Musashino
$1131
12 km or 7.4 mi Komae
$1133
12 km or 7.5 mi Mitaka
$1144
13 km or 8 mi Wako
$1073
13 km or 8.4 mi Kawaguchi
$1045
14 km or 8.5 mi Hirai
$1074
14 km or 8.9 mi Toda
$985
14 km or 8.9 mi Chofu
$1128
14 km or 9 mi Nishitokyo
$1123
15 km or 9.3 mi Asaka
$1051
15 km or 9.4 mi Warabi
$973
16 km or 10 mi Niiza
$1068
17 km or 10 mi Higashikurume
$1086
17 km or 11 mi Koganei
$1087
18 km or 11 mi Kawasaki-ku
$1199
18 km or 11 mi Inagi
$1070
18 km or 11 mi Soka
$1075
18 km or 11 mi Kiyose
$1064
19 km or 12 mi Shiki
$1004
19 km or 12 mi Kawasaki
$1358
19 km or 12 mi Urayasu
$1080
20 km or 12 mi Fuchu
$1105
20 km or 12 mi Saitama
$1055
20 km or 12 mi Kodaira
$1101
20 km or 12 mi Yashio
$1037
21 km or 13 mi Kokubunji
$1075
21 km or 13 mi Higashimurayama
$1085
21 km or 13 mi Miyoshi
$1033
22 km or 14 mi Ichikawa
$1005
22 km or 14 mi Matsudo
$1084
23 km or 14 mi Misato
$1038
23 km or 14 mi Fujimi
$1009
23 km or 14 mi Kunitachi
$1070
23 km or 14 mi Tama
$1047
24 km or 15 mi Tokorozawa
$1091
24 km or 15 mi Koshigaya
$1107
25 km or 15 mi Tachikawa
$1094
25 km or 15 mi Higashiyamato
$1077
26 km or 16 mi Yoshikawa
$1053
26 km or 16 mi Fujimino
$1006