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Nanjing vs Shanghai cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ณ Nanjing
๐จ๐ณ Shanghai
At a glance
- Where Shanghai is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (50%โ)
- Where Nanjing is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (71%โ), Beer (50%โ), Transit (50%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Nanjing | Shanghai | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฅ 30$4.23 | ยฅ 35$4.93 | Nanjing โ14% |
| Street food1 item | ยฅ 15$2.11 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฅ 80$11.3 | ยฅ 110$15.5 | Nanjing โ27% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฅ 25$3.52 | ยฅ 28$3.94 | Nanjing โ11% |
| Beerone bottle | ยฅ 15$2.11 | ยฅ 30$4.23 | Nanjing โ50% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฅ 50$7.04 | ยฅ 85$12 | Nanjing โ41% |
| Bottled water | ยฅ 2$0.28 | ยฅ 3$0.42 | Nanjing โ33% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฅ 3.5$0.49 | ยฅ 5$0.7 | Nanjing โ30% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฅ 16$2.25 | ยฅ 20$2.82 | Nanjing โ20% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฅ 11$1.55 | ยฅ 16$2.25 | Nanjing โ31% |
| Transitone ride | ยฅ 2$0.28 | ยฅ 4$0.56 | Nanjing โ50% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฅ 30$4.23 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Shanghai โ50% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฅ 320$45.1 | ยฅ 500$70.4 | Nanjing โ36% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฅ 3,000$423 | ยฅ 6,000$845 | Nanjing โ50% |
| Laundry | ยฅ 15$2.11 | ยฅ 14$1.97 | Shanghai โ7% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฅ 100$14.1 | ยฅ 100$14.1 | similar |
| Haircutcut | ยฅ 35$4.93 | ยฅ 60$8.45 | Nanjing โ42% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฅ 120$16.9 | ยฅ 200$28.2 | Nanjing โ40% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฅ 200$28.2 | ยฅ 250$35.2 | Nanjing โ20% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฅ 35$4.93 | ยฅ 120$16.9 | Nanjing โ71% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Nanjing or Shanghai?
Nanjing is 36% cheaper than Shanghai. Daily budget $82.1 vs $118; a month $1,612 vs $2,712.
Which is easier to travel, Nanjing or Shanghai?
About the same: Nanjing 2.4/5, Shanghai 2.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Nanjing and Shanghai?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Nanjing is about $1,612 and Shanghai about $2,712 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.