Shanghai at a glance
- Shanghai is the most expensive of China's 17 priced cities: $892 a month in essentials, 110% above Chongqing at $425.
- The average net salary of $1,711 covers that 1.9×.
- 114.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at prefecture level.
- PM2.5 averages 48.5 µg/m³ a year, 10× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 17 China cities we track, so every row says whether Shanghai is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $892 | $520 | 1.72× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $575 | $263 | 2.19× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $951 | $425 | 2.24× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $101 | $91 | $10 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $111 | $84 | 1.32× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $75 | $70 | $5 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $30 | $22 | 1.36× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,711 | $1,159 | 1.48× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,267 | $525 | 2.41× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,406 | $878 | 2.74× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Shanghai, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $4.43 | $2.96 | 1.50× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $29.56 | $24.02 | $5.54 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.17 | $5.17 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.19 | $3.04 | $0.15 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.18 | $1.18 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.22 | $2.22 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.56 | $0.49 | $0.07 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.34 | $0.30 | $0.04 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.98 | $1.84 | $0.14 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.04 | $1.72 | $0.32 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.97 | $1.00 | $0.03 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.91 | $1.60 | $0.31 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $15.79 | $14.62 | $1.17 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $3.27 | $3.50 | $0.23 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.29 | $2.08 | $0.21 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.77 | $1.28 | 1.38× as much |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.77 | $1.27 | 1.39× as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.82 | $0.82 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.96 | $0.92 | $0.04 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.69 | $0.59 | $0.10 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.59 | $0.44 | 1.34× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $29.56 | $22.17 | 1.33× as much |
| Taxi start | $2.22 | $1.48 | 1.50× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.44 | $0.37 | $0.07 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.26 | $1.25 | $0.01 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $63.52 | $54.25 | $9.27 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $11.30 | $11.20 | $0.10 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $9.00 | $9.00 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $74.49 | $42.19 | 1.77× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $8.87 | $6.65 | 1.33× as much |
Dating-age sex ratio
Shanghai has 114.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (prefecture level). That is the 8th-highest of 20 China cities we track. China's national figure is 112.8, so Shanghai runs 2 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Shanghai ranks against every city we track
Shanghai sits ahead of 86% of the 534 cities we track on salary against local costs. On safety it is ahead of 79% of 562. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 3% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Shanghai sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0.
