Shanghai vs Milan
Salary equivalence calculator
Price-level ratio 1.097. Adjust to recalculate.
| Metric | Shanghai | Milan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price level index (NYC=100) | 62.0 | 68.0 | +9.7% |
| Rent index (NYC=100) | 52.0 | 54.0 | +3.8% |
| Equivalent of ¥120,000 | ¥120,000 | ¥131,613 | costlier |
- Milan is about 10% more expensive than Shanghai, so you need a higher nominal salary to break even.
How far does your salary go in Milan?
Moving from Shanghai to Milan changes your cost of living in ways a currency conversion can't capture. What matters is purchasing power: how much the same basket of housing, food, transport and services costs in each place. On our index, where New York City = 100, Shanghai sits at 62.0 and Milan at 68.0.
That makes Milan roughly 10% more expensive. A salary of ¥120,000 in Shanghai translates to about ¥131,613 in Milan. Above that and you gain in real terms; below it and you take an effective pay cut.
Housing drives the gap
Rent is the largest and most variable line in most budgets. Milan's rent index is 54.0 versus Shanghai's 52.0.
Common mistakes
- Converting currency instead of purchasing power.
- Ignoring taxes, which vary by jurisdiction.
- Forgetting one-off relocation costs.
Bottom line
Milan is about 10% more expensive than Shanghai, so you need a higher nominal salary to break even. Use the calculator to plug in your real salary and compare against any concrete offer.
Rent equivalence: Shanghai vs Milan
Based on the rent-index ratio of 1.038 (Shanghai 52.0 vs Milan 54.0, NYC = 100).
Housing is usually the biggest single difference between two cities, and it moves independently of the overall price level. Renting the equivalent home in Milan costs about 4% more than in Shanghai. Enter your actual rent above to see what a like-for-like place would cost after you move — a more honest gauge of affordability than a raw salary conversion, since renters and owners feel very different impacts.
Frequently asked questions
What salary do I need in Milan to match Shanghai?
To keep the same standard of living as ¥120,000 in Shanghai, you would need roughly ¥131,613 in Milan, a price-level ratio of 1.10.
Is Milan more expensive than Shanghai?
Yes, by about 10% on the overall price level.
How much is rent in Milan compared to Shanghai?
Rent in Milan is about 4% higher than in Shanghai (rent indices 52.0 vs 54.0, NYC = 100). Use the rent calculator on this page for your exact figure.
How is the equivalent salary calculated?
We multiply your salary by the ratio of the two cities' composite price-level indices (housing, food, transport, services), benchmarked so New York City = 100.
Methodology
We build a composite price-level index for each city from official regional price parities and international purchasing-power parities across housing, food, transport and services, normalized so New York City = 100. The equivalent salary is your salary multiplied by the ratio of the destination index to the origin index. It estimates the income needed to hold real purchasing power constant and does not model taxes.