Salary Equivalence
Shanghai
Shanghai, China — cost-of-living and salary purchasing-power profile with a price-level index of 62.0 (New York City = 100).
Key figures
| Price level index | 62.0 |
|---|---|
| Rent index | 52.0 |
| Population | 24,870,000 |
About Shanghai
Shanghai has a composite price-level index of 62.0 (New York City = 100) and a rent index of 52.0, making it a moderately priced city. It is home to roughly 24.9 million people and uses the CNY. The calculators below convert any salary to and from Shanghai so you can judge a move in real purchasing-power terms rather than raw currency.
The comparisons below show how Shanghai stacks up against the alternatives people most often weigh against it, with the specific numbers laid out side by side.
Frequently asked questions
How expensive is Shanghai?
Shanghai has a composite price-level index of 62.0 (NYC = 100) and a rent index of 52.0.
What currency is used in Shanghai?
Shanghai uses the CNY.
✓ Reviewed by EquivalentTo Editorial Review, Data Quality & Methodology.
Last updated 2026-06-01