Cheapest priced cityChongqing$425 essentials/mo
Priciest priced cityShanghai$892 essentials/mo
Average 1-bed outside centre$302across 17 priced cities
Chongqing vs the worldCheaper than 487 of the 535 priced cities we trackessentials, single person, USD
Tourist stay signal30 days visa-free for the UK, most of the EU, Canada, Australia, Japan and Korea until 31 December 2026 — the US is not on that list and enters on the 240-hour transit scheme instead.as of 2026-07
City-by-city monthly costs
Essentials are sourced rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining, and local transport. They are not a full lifestyle budget.
| Chongqing | $425 | 102.7 county | $185 | $405 | $89 | $78 | $51 | $22 | $1,114 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xi'an | $426 | 106.5 prefecture | $175 | $311 | $82 | $69 | $74 | $26 | $1,067 |
| Kunming | $444 | 105.8 prefecture | $178 | $237 | $91 | $67 | $71 | $37 | $859 |
| Qingdao | $452 | 109.5 prefecture | $196 | $347 | $90 | $71 | $77 | $18 | $1,199 |
| Wuhan | $487 | 99.5 county | $220 | $344 | $89 | $78 | $70 | $30 | $1,106 |
| Chengdu | $501 | 102.7 prefecture | $257 | $452 | $89 | $78 | $53 | $24 | $1,264 |
| Xiamen | $502 | 115.2 prefecture | $263 | $345 | $94 | $79 | $54 | $12 | $1,132 |
| Dalian | $519 | 93.9 county | $238 | $402 | $83 | $91 | $77 | $30 | $1,097 |
| Zhuhai | $520 | 115.7 county | $281 | $425 | $84 | $84 | $65 | $6 | $1,052 |
| Tianjin | $538 | 119.3 county | $229 | $329 | $98 | $98 | $101 | $12 | $1,159 |
| Nanjing | $566 | 101.2 county | $294 | $513 | $89 | $92 | $61 | $30 | $1,371 |
| Guangzhou | $572 | 116.7 prefecture | $284 | $534 | $105 | $89 | $73 | $21 | $1,281 |
| Sanya | $609 | 117.8 prefecture | $369 | $591 | $103 | $80 | $40 | $17 | $887 |
| Hangzhou | $646 | 115.1 prefecture | $369 | $617 | $99 | $97 | $63 | $18 | $1,449 |
| Shenzhen | $723 | 128 city | $440 | $671 | $96 | $100 | $65 | $22 | $1,721 |
| Beijing | $891 | 109.5 prefecture | $579 | $1,025 | $96 | $111 | $70 | $35 | $1,568 |
| Shanghai | $892 | 114.5 prefecture | $575 | $951 | $101 | $111 | $75 | $30 | $1,711 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
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Photo: xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0.
