ℹ️ About the data: the figures for Shanghai and Tokyo are averages compiled from millions of user-contributed income and living-cost entries worldwide over the last 12 months (updated July 2026), converted to Chinese yuan (CNY, ¥). Green 🟢 marks a higher income or a lower price. Source: NUMBEO, which is widely cited by international media; the Seapoe team compiled, translated and processed the data.
Income comparison
| Metric | Shanghai | Tokyo | Shanghai vs Tokyo |
|---|
| 💰 Average monthly net salary | ¥11,735 | ¥16,716 | Tokyo earns 1.4× the salary in Shanghai |
Daily expenses
| Metric | Shanghai | Tokyo | Shanghai vs Tokyo |
|---|
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | ¥30 | ¥51 | Tokyo costs 1.70× the price in Shanghai |
| 🍝 Meal for two, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | ¥200 | ¥298 | Tokyo costs 1.49× the price in Shanghai |
| 🍔 McMeal at McDonald's (or equivalent) | ¥35 | ¥34 | Shanghai costs 1.03× the price in Tokyo |
| 💧 Utilities, 85 m² apartment (monthly) | ¥429.8 | ¥1,078.6 | Tokyo costs 2.51× the price in Shanghai |
| 💻 Broadband internet, 60 Mbps+ (monthly) | ¥76.5 | ¥207.9 | Tokyo costs 2.72× the price in Shanghai |
| 📱 Mobile plan, calls + 10 GB+ data (monthly) | ¥52.7 | ¥155.2 | Tokyo costs 2.95× the price in Shanghai |
| 💪 Gym membership (monthly) | ¥462.0 | ¥409.1 | Shanghai costs 1.13× the price in Tokyo |
| 🎬 Cinema ticket, international release | ¥60.0 | ¥85.2 | Tokyo costs 1.42× the price in Shanghai |
| ⛽ Petrol (1 litre) | ¥8.6 | ¥7.3 | Shanghai costs 1.18× the price in Tokyo |
Supermarket prices
| Metric | Shanghai | Tokyo | Shanghai vs Tokyo |
|---|
| 🥩 Beef round (1 kg) | ¥88.8 | ¥136.7 | Tokyo costs 1.54× the price in Shanghai |
| 🥚 Eggs (12) | ¥12.3 | ¥15.2 | Tokyo costs 1.23× the price in Shanghai |
| 🥛 Milk (1 litre) | ¥13.6 | ¥10.6 | Shanghai costs 1.29× the price in Tokyo |
| 🍞 Bread (500 g) | ¥13.0 | ¥11.3 | Shanghai costs 1.15× the price in Tokyo |
| 🍏 Apples (1 kg) | ¥15.5 | ¥34.7 | Tokyo costs 2.24× the price in Shanghai |
| 🥔 Potatoes (1 kg) | ¥5.6 | ¥24.7 | Tokyo costs 4.44× the price in Shanghai |
| 🍅 Tomatoes (1 kg) | ¥12.0 | ¥42.8 | Tokyo costs 3.57× the price in Shanghai |
| 🍺 Domestic beer (500 ml) | ¥6.1 | ¥12.3 | Tokyo costs 2.02× the price in Shanghai |
| 🍷 Wine, mid-range bottle | ¥77.5 | ¥63.9 | Shanghai costs 1.21× the price in Tokyo |
Rent & property prices
| Metric | Shanghai | Tokyo | Shanghai vs Tokyo |
|---|
| 🛌 Rent, 1-bedroom in city centre (monthly) | ¥6,371 | ¥8,480 | Tokyo costs 1.33× the price in Shanghai |
| 🛌 Rent, 1-bedroom outside centre (monthly) | ¥3,832 | ¥4,633 | Tokyo costs 1.21× the price in Shanghai |
| 🚪 Rent, 3-bedroom in city centre (monthly) | ¥16,000 | ¥16,145 | Tokyo costs 1.01× the price in Shanghai |
| 🚪 Rent, 3-bedroom outside centre (monthly) | ¥8,594 | ¥9,238 | Tokyo costs 1.07× the price in Shanghai |
| 🏡 Apartment price per m², city centre | ¥93,933 | ¥70,519 | Shanghai costs 1.33× the price in Tokyo |
| 🏡 Apartment price per m², outside centre | ¥44,760 | ¥32,226 | Shanghai costs 1.39× the price in Tokyo |
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