Hong Kong vs Shanghai Cost of Living
Hong Kong (Hong Kong) · Overall index 75.4 — Shanghai (China) · Overall index 47.2
Summary
- Overall, Shanghai is 37% cheaper than Hong Kong.
- Rent in Shanghai is 55% cheaper than in Hong Kong.
- Transport in Shanghai is 39% cheaper than in Hong Kong.
| Item | Hong Kong | Shanghai | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -55% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,572 | $1,123 | -56% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,975 | $819 | -59% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,236 | $2,667 | -49% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,501 | $1,498 | -57% |
| Groceries | -28% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.19 | $0.89 | -25% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.67 | $2.39 | -35% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.36 | $3.36 | -23% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.93 | $3.12 | -21% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $11.9 | $8.28 | -30% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $11.5 | $8 | -30% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $15 | $12.9 | -14% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.97 | $3.55 | -29% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.74 | $1.42 | -18% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.99 | $3.11 | -22% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.29 | $3.04 | -43% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.49 | $1.83 | -27% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.2 | $1.6 | -27% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.49 | $1.6 | -36% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.3 | $1.62 | -30% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $13.7 | $9.46 | -31% |
| Transport | -39% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.38 | $1.25 | -47% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $104 | $69.5 | -33% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.97 | $1.95 | -34% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.71 | $0.91 | -47% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.76 | $0.52 | -32% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $21,733 | $13,544 | -38% |
| Dining out | -34% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $20.9 | $11.2 | -46% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $99.9 | $71.4 | -29% |
| Fast food combo meal | $10.2 | $6.06 | -41% |
| Cappuccino | $4.36 | $3.29 | -25% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.41 | $1.53 | -37% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.48 | $3.76 | -31% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.05 | $4.63 | -34% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.74 | $1.27 | -27% |
| Telecom | -25% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $48.9 | $37.8 | -23% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $59.2 | $42.3 | -29% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.3 | $0.21 | -30% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13 | $10.7 | -18% |
| Utilities & household | -32% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $136 | $113 | -17% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.18 | $0.14 | -22% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.39 | $2.88 | -34% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.39 | $0.81 | -42% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $21.8 | $13.2 | -39% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $78.7 | $49.5 | -37% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $13.3 | $8.96 | -33% |
| Men's haircut | $30.2 | $20.7 | -31% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $24.4 | $15.8 | -35% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,684 | $1,193 | -29% |
3,166 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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