Cost of living in Shanghai, China

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Food
Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district 元75
Combo meal in fast food restaurant (Big Mac Meal or similar) 元34
500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast 元28
1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk 元18
12 eggs, large 元23
1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes 元13
500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese 元85
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples 元20
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes 元12
0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket 元7
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality 元132
2 liters of Coca-Cola 元9
Bread for 2 people for 1 day 元17
Housing
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in EXPENSIVE area 元15,150
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in NORMAL area 元9,188
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat 元579
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in EXPENSIVE area 元8,487
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in NORMAL area 元4,631
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 Sqft) studio 元440
Internet 8 Mbps (1 month) 元129
40” flat screen TV 元3,292
Microwave 800/900 Watt (Bosch, Panasonic, LG, Sharp, or equivalent brands) 元649
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) 元63
Hourly rate for cleaning help 元29
Clothes
1 pair of jeans (Levis 501 or similar) 元587
1 summer dress in a High Street Store (Zara, H&M or similar retailers) 元298
1 pair of sport shoes (Nike, Adidas, or equivalent brands) 元754
1 pair of men’s leather business shoes 元985
Transportation
Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI 140 CV (or equivalent), with no extras, new 元189,055
1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas 元7
Monthly ticket public transport 元224
Taxi trip on a business day, basic tariff, 8 km. (5 miles) 元36
Personal Care
Cold medicine for 6 days (Tylenol, Frenadol, Coldrex, or equivalent brands) 元33
1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) 元54
Short visit to private Doctor (15 minutes) 元904
1 box of 32 tampons (Tampax, OB, ...) 元31
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) 元37
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) 元37
4 rolls of toilet paper 元12
Tube of toothpaste 元23
Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city 元116
Entertainment
Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub 元255
2 tickets to the movies 元148
2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) 元767
Dinner for two at an Italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert 元577
1 cocktail drink in downtown club 元72
Cappuccino in expat area of the city 元35
1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) 元36
iPod nano 16GB 元1,194
1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) 元0.63
1 month of gym membership in business district 元484
1 package of Marlboro cigarettes 元20
These prices are based on abundant and consistent data. They are very reliable. They are based on 1,064 prices entered by 126 different people.
Latest price update: September 29, 2016.

Shanghai position in our World Ranking

the world
107th
out of 256
asia
5th
out of 25

Cheapest and most expensive products in Shanghai compared to other cities:

the world
2nd
the world
2nd
asia
1st
asia
1st
asia
1st
asia
1st

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Prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans)

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