Shanghai vs Tokyo - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Shanghai Tokyo
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1126
$1698
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3097
$4139
🏠 One person rent
$600
$825
🏘️ Family rent
$1068
$1461
🍽️ Food expenses
$293
$441
🚐 Transport expenses
$108
$321
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$879
$2676
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
99
100
😀 Quality of life
75
96
🏙️ Population
24.9M
14.3M

The cost of living in Shanghai is 34% less expensive than in Tokyo. Cities ranked 4971st and 3249th ($1126 vs $1698) 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 0.8 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 1655th and 8th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
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
$5.01
$7.69
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$36.1
$42.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.51
$5.25
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.69
$3.41
 Cappuccino
$3.77
$3.35
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.54
$1.24
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$803
$1078
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$486
$600
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1462
$1993
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$880
$1098
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$37.5
$98.8
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$58.6
$153
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$13
$30.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.34%
1.71%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$14215
$11264
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$7113
$5199
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.47
$1.39
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$30.1
$79.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6.45
$29.4
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.15
$1.14
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.94
$1.5
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.8
$1.37
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.3
$4.74
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.79
$2.32
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$16.2
$12.4
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.91
$7.81
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.6
$21.7
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.35
$5.04
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.74
$2.42
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.78
$4.62
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.76
$5.69
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.89
$3.24
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.04
$3.3
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.45
$0.56
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.27
$1.43
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12.5
$9.74
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.92
$1.9
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.46
$3.99
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.19
$9.3
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.91
$3.21
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.07
$1.37
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.21
$1.38
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$61.9
$69.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.84
$13
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$94.1
$34.6
💇 Haircut, simple
$12
$21.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$50.6
$51.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$78.8
$55.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1114
$597
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$27781
$16728

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
$1002
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$669
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$696
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$701
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$782
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$594
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$620
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$644
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$557
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$667
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$683
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$643
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$650
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$584
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$671
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$636
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$680
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$684
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$623
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$646
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$860
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$636
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$647
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$652
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$611
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$652
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$604
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$675
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$678
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$525
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$618
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$626
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$644
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$667
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$677
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$601
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$661
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$665
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$632
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$765

Cities near Tokyo

Distance City Cost of living
12 km or 7.3 mi Musashino
$1155
12 km or 7.4 mi Komae
$1154
12 km or 7.5 mi Mitaka
$1176
13 km or 8 mi Wako
$1074
13 km or 8.4 mi Kawaguchi
$1050
14 km or 8.5 mi Hirai
$1084
14 km or 8.9 mi Toda
$993
14 km or 8.9 mi Chofu
$1160
14 km or 9 mi Nishitokyo
$1144
15 km or 9.3 mi Asaka
$1056
15 km or 9.4 mi Warabi
$979
16 km or 10 mi Niiza
$1072
17 km or 10 mi Higashikurume
$1088
17 km or 11 mi Koganei
$1116
18 km or 11 mi Kawasaki-ku
$1237
18 km or 11 mi Inagi
$1104
18 km or 11 mi Soka
$1089
18 km or 11 mi Kiyose
$1063
19 km or 12 mi Shiki
$1011
19 km or 12 mi Kawasaki
$1399
19 km or 12 mi Urayasu
$1097
20 km or 12 mi Fuchu
$1137
20 km or 12 mi Saitama
$1073
20 km or 12 mi Kodaira
$1115
20 km or 12 mi Yashio
$1048
21 km or 13 mi Kokubunji
$1107
21 km or 13 mi Higashimurayama
$1086
21 km or 13 mi Miyoshi
$1038
22 km or 14 mi Ichikawa
$1040
22 km or 14 mi Matsudo
$1070
23 km or 14 mi Misato
$1046
23 km or 14 mi Fujimi
$1013
23 km or 14 mi Kunitachi
$1102
23 km or 14 mi Tama
$1073
24 km or 15 mi Tokorozawa
$1090
24 km or 15 mi Koshigaya
$1116
25 km or 15 mi Tachikawa
$1130
25 km or 15 mi Higashiyamato
$1094
26 km or 16 mi Yoshikawa
$1070
26 km or 16 mi Fujimino
$1005