Module profile
Cost of Living module indicator (modelled)
64/100
Affordability, essential costs, and day-to-day financial pressure for residents.
Cost of Living in Shanghai64/100
Cost of Living
GCI Affordability Index for Shanghai
GCI modelled/editorial indicators, not measured city statistics. Shanghai is among China's most expensive metros, with central rents balanced against deep services, food, and transit access. Cost of Living in Shanghai scores 64/100, placing it in the developing group of the indexed set.
- Last updated
- 2026-10-17
- Data year (model edition)
- 2025
- Module score
- 64/100
What these numbers represent
GCI scores and planning amounts are modelled or editorial indicators, not measured city statistics or official estimates. Country assumptions are not local observations. Institutional references explain context; they do not supply these scores.
This legacy page explains an affordability index, not a household budget. See the separate monthly budget estimates for Shanghai for currency-denominated model amounts.
Source-backed temperature context is available in the NASA POWER climate reference. It is gridded reanalysis, not a weather-station measurement, and does not validate GCI's other scores.
Content and provenance reviewed 2026-10-17; this is not a new observation date. For GCI models, data year means model edition, not a measurement period. Source-backed datasets state their own periods. Read the data categories and limitations.
Affordability score
64/100
Lower score driven by central rents.
Housing pressure
High
Central districts remain especially competitive.
Transport offset
Strong
Metro reach reduces private mobility costs.
Shanghai cost of living data table
This HTML table mirrors the visible score cards so important comparison data is never trapped in a browser-only chart.
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability score | 64/100 | Outer districts remain more accessible. |
| Housing pressure | High | Long-term rental options span a wide range. |
| Transport offset | Strong | Transit-heavy daily routines lower household transport spend. |
Cost of Living city comparison
A crawlable comparison across a selection of same-country and top-scoring cities. The complete set is reachable via the rankings, the cities index, and each city profile.
| City | Modelled module score | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Shanghai (this page) | 64/100 | Shanghai is among China's most expensive metros, with central rents balanced against deep services, food, and transit access. |
| Chengdu | 72/100 | Chengdu's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Wuhan | 72/100 | Wuhan's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Beijing | 68/100 | Beijing is moderately expensive by Chinese standards, with rent the main pressure on household budgets. |
| Guangzhou | 68/100 | Guangzhou's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Xi'an | 68/100 | Xi'an's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Harbin | 68/100 | Harbin's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Fuzhou | 68/100 | Fuzhou's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Nanning | 68/100 | Nanning's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Taiyuan | 68/100 | Taiyuan's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Luoyang | 68/100 | Luoyang's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Yinchuan | 68/100 | Yinchuan's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Zhanjiang | 68/100 | Zhanjiang's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Guilin | 68/100 | Guilin's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Zhangjiakou | 68/100 | Zhangjiakou's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Yantai | 68/100 | Yantai's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Anqing | 68/100 | Anqing's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Yancheng | 68/100 | Yancheng's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Zunyi | 68/100 | Zunyi's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Hohhot | 67/100 | Hohhot's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Ningbo | 67/100 | Ningbo's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Kashgar | 67/100 | Kashgar's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Lijiang | 67/100 | Lijiang's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Zhuhai | 67/100 | Zhuhai's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Qiqihar | 67/100 | Qiqihar's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Huizhou | 67/100 | Huizhou's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Jilin City | 67/100 | Jilin City's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Zhangzhou | 67/100 | Zhangzhou's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Xiangyang | 67/100 | Xiangyang's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Wuhu | 67/100 | Wuhu's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Yueyang | 67/100 | Yueyang's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
Interpretation
The cost of living module uses a legacy editorial seed indicator. Its score is not calculated from a retrieved local measurement series. Related institutional links explain context, not the numeric result. Across the indexed cities the cost of living average is 59/100, so Shanghai is 5 points above the median. These comparisons use GCI modelled/editorial scores, not official measurements. Content reviewed 2026-10-17; model edition 2025, not an observation year.
Read this module with the main open the shanghai city profile and the read the scoring methodology page so single-topic pages do not hide tradeoffs across dimensions.
Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation. Verified datasets are being integrated; official sources should be used for critical decisions.
Methodology references
These publications provide background context, not the underlying city values or an endorsement of GCI scores. Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation; verified datasets are being integrated and official sources should be used for critical decisions.
- UN-Habitat: World Cities Report 2024
Background reference only. Do not attribute the modelled city scores to this publisher.
- IPCC: AR6 WGII Chapter 6: Cities, settlements and key infrastructure
Background reference only. Do not attribute the modelled city scores to this publisher.
- Numbeo: Cost of Living Index
Background reference only. Do not attribute the modelled city scores to this publisher.
Continue exploring
These links connect module pages back to city, ranking, and sibling topic paths with crawlable href values.
Shanghai city profile
Return to the complete Shanghai profile with all module scores and source context.
Air Quality in Shanghai
Health-oriented air-quality conditions with context from WHO, EEA, and EPA benchmarks.
Energy in Shanghai
Clean-energy readiness, grid resilience, and solar or efficiency opportunity signals.
Safety in Shanghai
Personal safety, institutional trust, and resilience signals informed by international safety and crime data.
Internet Speed in Shanghai
Broadband and mobile connectivity quality, latency, and digital-readiness signals for residents and remote workers.
Climate Risk in Shanghai
Climate exposure, hazard frequency, and adaptation context for floods, heat, storms, and wildfires.
Overall Intelligence
A balanced ranking of cities across affordability, air quality, clean-energy readiness, and resilience.
Quality of Life
Cities that combine strong services, mobility, safety, clean air, and resilience into a healthy day-to-day profile.