Shanghai vs Tokyo - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Shanghai Tokyo
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1128
$1698
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3104
$4089
🏠 One person rent
$605
$829
🏘️ Family rent
$1067
$1453
🍽️ Food expenses
$289
$435
🚐 Transport expenses
$110
$322
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$931
$2574
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
77
99
🏙️ Population
24.9M
14.3M

The cost of living in Shanghai is 34% less expensive than in Tokyo. Cities ranked 4879th and 3130th ($1128 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 1.5 months in Tokyo. Shanghai ranked 4th best city to live in China vs Tokyo ranked 1st in Japan, while ranked 1383rd and 4th 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
$4.7
$7.1
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$40
$39.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.69
$5.04
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.47
$3.96
☕ Cappuccino
$3.79
$3.41
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.51
$1.19
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$848
$1001
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$485
$631
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1510
$1794
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$875
$1151
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$34.2
$93.7
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$52
$143
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$12.8
$30.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.36%
1.61%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$14877
$10581
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$7318
$5243
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.56
$1.45
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$31.8
$75.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6.41
$30.3
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.13
$1.14
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.11
$1.51
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.88
$1.53
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.34
$4.16
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.88
$2.27
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.7
$14.5
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.52
$7.33
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.6
$20.8
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.26
$5.05
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.78
$2.57
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.8
$5.39
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.54
$5.06
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.81
$3.15
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.07
$3.2
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.44
$0.59
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.27
$1.7
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$11.9
$9.55
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.86
$2.13
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.02
$4.02
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.07
$10.4
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6
$3.32
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.02
$1.44
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.12
$1.43
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$59.6
$60.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.24
$13
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$92.7
$29.8
💇 Haircut, simple
$12.1
$22.5
👖 Brand Jeans
$52.8
$55
👟 Brand Sneakers
$75.1
$63.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1172
$518
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$27624
$14795

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
$1003
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$673
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$696
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$696
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$771
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$597
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$612
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$632
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$547
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$648
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$679
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$631
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$634
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$576
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$713
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$621
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$740
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$674
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$601
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$630
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$826
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$622
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$634
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$639
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$597
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$642
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$597
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$651
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$664
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$531
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$602
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$618
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$637
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$672
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$663
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$590
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$666
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$659
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$617
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$753

Cities near Tokyo

Distance City Cost of living
12 km or 7.3 mi Musashino
$1110
12 km or 7.4 mi Komae
$1115
12 km or 7.5 mi Mitaka
$1125
13 km or 8 mi Wako
$1035
13 km or 8.4 mi Kawaguchi
$1025
14 km or 8.5 mi Hirai
$1055
14 km or 8.9 mi Toda
$961
14 km or 8.9 mi Chofu
$1113
14 km or 9 mi Nishitokyo
$1094
15 km or 9.3 mi Asaka
$1020
15 km or 9.4 mi Warabi
$945
16 km or 10 mi Niiza
$1033
17 km or 10 mi Higashikurume
$1049
17 km or 11 mi Koganei
$1066
18 km or 11 mi Kawasaki-ku
$1198
18 km or 11 mi Inagi
$1058
18 km or 11 mi Soka
$1047
18 km or 11 mi Kiyose
$1025
19 km or 12 mi Shiki
$972
19 km or 12 mi Kawasaki
$1354
19 km or 12 mi Urayasu
$1068
20 km or 12 mi Fuchu
$1088
20 km or 12 mi Saitama
$1037
20 km or 12 mi Kodaira
$1066
20 km or 12 mi Yashio
$1002
21 km or 13 mi Kokubunji
$1050
21 km or 13 mi Higashimurayama
$1040
21 km or 13 mi Miyoshi
$997
22 km or 14 mi Ichikawa
$1041
22 km or 14 mi Matsudo
$1024
23 km or 14 mi Misato
$1005
23 km or 14 mi Fujimi
$975
23 km or 14 mi Kunitachi
$1050
23 km or 14 mi Tama
$1040
24 km or 15 mi Tokorozawa
$1061
24 km or 15 mi Koshigaya
$1078
25 km or 15 mi Tachikawa
$1073
25 km or 15 mi Higashiyamato
$1044
26 km or 16 mi Yoshikawa
$1031
26 km or 16 mi Fujimino
$961