Shanghai vs Washington - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Shanghai Washington
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1136
$3139
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3654
$7694
🏠 One person rent
$602
$2066
🏘️ Family rent
$1527
$4004
🍽️ Food expenses
$293
$724
🚐 Transport expenses
$116
$157
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1905
$5811
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
79
94
🏙️ Population
24.9M
690K

The cost of living in Shanghai is 64% less expensive than in Washington. Cities ranked 4780th and 93rd ($1136 vs $3139) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 6th and 74th in China and the United States, respectively. Check China vs the United States comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in Shanghai compared to 1.9 months in Washington. Shanghai ranked 4th best city to live in China vs Washington ranked 6th in the United States, while ranked 571st and 41st 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 Washington infographic

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Prices in Shanghai vs Washington

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

Shanghai Washington
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$3.99
$22.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$42.8
$89.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.51
$12
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.43
$8.31
☕ Cappuccino
$3.61
$5.45
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.53
$2.72
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$897
$2248
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$461
$1786
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2549
$4843
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1181
$3476
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$36.3
$122
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$56.1
$189
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$16.9
$65
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.28%
6.51%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$16156
$9758
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$8893
$6572
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.57
$2.63
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$36.1
$80.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6.13
$22.8
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.19
$0.96
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.41
$1.13
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.99
$3.65
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.41
$4.18
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.11
$5.36
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.8
$15.3
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.46
$15.3
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.4
$18.5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.33
$5.12
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.64
$1.91
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.05
$5.27
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.7
$5.53
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.98
$3.05
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.07
$3.48
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.37
$1.7
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.32
$3.1
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$11.2
$16.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.86
$3.01
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.51
$12.1
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.62
$9.26
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.04
$4.83
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.72
$4.96
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.03
$2.56
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$55
$99.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.47
$16.4
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$90.7
$106
💇 Haircut, simple
$11.9
$32.5
👖 Brand Jeans
$58.2
$73.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$78.6
$109
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1263
$2258
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$31401
$23453

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 Washington

Distance City Cost of living
2.5 km or 1.5 mi Georgetown
$2890
9.5 km or 5.9 mi Bailey's Crossroads
$2553
10 km or 6.3 mi Alexandria
$2982
11 km or 6.8 mi Bethesda
$2701
12 km or 7.5 mi Silver Spring
$2179
15 km or 9.2 mi College Park
$2537
17 km or 11 mi Springfield
$2279
17 km or 11 mi Greenbelt
$2436
23 km or 14 mi Rockville
$2505
24 km or 15 mi Fairfax
$2777
26 km or 16 mi Bowie
$2417
27 km or 17 mi Laurel
$2299
28 km or 17 mi Reston
$2675
30 km or 19 mi Waldorf
$2575
31 km or 19 mi Gaithersburg
$2626
32 km or 20 mi Herndon
$2447
34 km or 21 mi Woodbridge
$2583
34 km or 21 mi Marumsco
$2504
36 km or 22 mi Centreville
$3236
37 km or 23 mi Germantown
$2775
38 km or 23 mi Columbia
$2664
41 km or 26 mi Manassas
$2599
42 km or 26 mi Ashburn
$2807
47 km or 29 mi Annapolis
$2917
49 km or 31 mi Catonsville
$2363
51 km or 32 mi Leesburg
$2238
57 km or 35 mi Eldersburg
$2405
57 km or 35 mi Baltimore
$2223
61 km or 38 mi Owings Mills
$2498
68 km or 42 mi Frederick
$2281
76 km or 47 mi Fredericksburg
$2202
83 km or 52 mi Charles Town
$1823
87 km or 54 mi Edgewood
$2887
92 km or 57 mi Bel Air South
$2693
93 km or 58 mi Bel Air North
$2619
102 km or 63 mi Hanover
$2140
102 km or 63 mi Hagerstown
$1955
103 km or 64 mi Winchester
$2294
106 km or 66 mi Waynesboro
$1975
122 km or 76 mi York
$1948