Chengdu vs Shanghai
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Shanghai edges it, 53 to 49, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Chengdu is stronger on nothing outright; Shanghai on getting there & around, internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Chengdu | Shanghai |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 39 ✓ | 35 |
| Safety | 73 | 73 |
| Healthcare | 80 | 80 |
| Internet | 42 | 57 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 29 | 29 |
| Getting there & around | 41 | 70 ✓ |
| Climate | 42 ✓ | 33 |
| Air quality | 40 | 48 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 55 | 55 |
Cost
| Metric | Chengdu | Shanghai |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,927 ✓ | $2,084 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Chengdu | Shanghai |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 63.3 | 63.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 85 | 85 |
| Life expectancy | 77.6 yrs | 77.6 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Chengdu | Shanghai |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 12.9 Mbps | 25.6 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 8.4 Mbps | 15.6 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Chengdu | Shanghai |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 30 days | 30 days |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Chengdu | Shanghai |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 78 | 244 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 5 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Chengdu | Shanghai |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 ✓ | 4 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 32 µg/m³ | 28.4 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Chengdu or Shanghai?
- Chengdu is cheaper: about $1,927 per month versus $2,084 for one person.
- Is Chengdu or Shanghai safer?
- Chengdu scores higher on safety (73 vs 73), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Chengdu or Shanghai?
- Shanghai: a measured median of 25.6 Mbps versus 12.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.