Shanghai vs Tokyo - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Shanghai Tokyo
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1190
$1556
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3757
$4005
🏠 One person rent
$635
$760
🏘️ Family rent
$1613
$1537
🍽️ Food expenses
$308
$426
🚐 Transport expenses
$117
$269
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1455
$2885
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
78
100
🏙️ Population
24.9M
14M

The cost of living in Shanghai is 23% less expensive than in Tokyo. Cities ranked 4461st and 3238th ($1190 vs $1556) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 6th and 3rd in China and Japan, respectively. Check China vs Japan comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.2 months in Shanghai compared to 1.9 months in Tokyo. Shanghai ranked 4th best city to live in China vs Tokyo ranked 1st in Japan, while ranked 558th and 1st among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Shanghai vs Tokyo infographic

Share this infographic!

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
$4.9
$6.15
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$40.7
$41.4
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.69
$5.09
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.7
$2.91
 Cappuccino
$3.83
$3.17
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.55
$1.13
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$901
$936
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$497
$540
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2595
$2411
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1269
$1067
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$39.1
$109
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$60.5
$170
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$17.9
$31.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.77%
1.67%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$17366
$7633
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$9346
$4193
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.56
$1.34
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$37.3
$53.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6
$26.6
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.19
$1.14
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.55
$1.49
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.02
$1.71
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.47
$2.67
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.21
$2.19
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.3
$15.6
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.12
$7.03
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.8
$18.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.27
$5.39
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.65
$2.48
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.97
$5.89
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.52
$4.81
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.96
$3.25
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.04
$2.76
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.39
$0.59
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.25
$1.34
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.7
$7.08
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.9
$2.04
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.45
$3.94
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.43
$13.9
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.06
$3.86
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.68
$1.34
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2
$1.45
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$69.1
$55.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.16
$12.6
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$89.7
$27.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$12
$17.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$66.7
$48.5
👟 Brand Sneakers
$78.5
$61.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1283
$508
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$28143
$15051

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

More cities to compare

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 Tokyo

Distance City Cost of living
12 km or 7.3 mi Musashino
$1105
12 km or 7.4 mi Komae
$1099
12 km or 7.5 mi Mitaka
$1117
13 km or 8 mi Wako
$1052
13 km or 8.4 mi Kawaguchi
$1052
14 km or 8.5 mi Hirai
$1051
14 km or 8.9 mi Toda
$988
14 km or 8.9 mi Chofu
$1115
14 km or 9 mi Nishitokyo
$1101
15 km or 9.3 mi Asaka
$1041
15 km or 9.4 mi Warabi
$973
16 km or 10 mi Niiza
$1053
17 km or 10 mi Higashikurume
$1066
17 km or 11 mi Koganei
$1067
18 km or 11 mi Kawasaki-ku
$1009
18 km or 11 mi Inagi
$1064
18 km or 11 mi Soka
$1071
18 km or 11 mi Kiyose
$1052
19 km or 12 mi Shiki
$1009
19 km or 12 mi Kawasaki
$1101
19 km or 12 mi Urayasu
$1062
20 km or 12 mi Fuchu
$1091
20 km or 12 mi Saitama
$1063
20 km or 12 mi Kodaira
$1078
20 km or 12 mi Yashio
$1045
21 km or 13 mi Kokubunji
$1057
21 km or 13 mi Higashimurayama
$1062
21 km or 13 mi Miyoshi
$1036
22 km or 14 mi Ichikawa
$985
22 km or 14 mi Matsudo
$1143
23 km or 14 mi Misato
$1049
23 km or 14 mi Fujimi
$1031
23 km or 14 mi Kunitachi
$1042
23 km or 14 mi Tama
$1041
24 km or 15 mi Tokorozawa
$1102
24 km or 15 mi Koshigaya
$1133
25 km or 15 mi Tachikawa
$1056
25 km or 15 mi Higashiyamato
$1052
26 km or 16 mi Yoshikawa
$1060
26 km or 16 mi Fujimino
$1063