cost
Cost of Living Index
Kathmandu103.8 / 0
Shanghai76.4 / 100
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Shanghai leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Kathmandu leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Shanghai leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Shanghai leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Kathmandu | 103.8 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Shanghai | 76.4 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Kathmandu | 64.9 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Shanghai | 59.7 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Kathmandu | $3,043 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Shanghai | $2,967 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Kathmandu | 14.9x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Shanghai | 12.4x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Kathmandu | $622/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Shanghai | $1,654/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Kathmandu | 8.7% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Shanghai | 8.1% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Kathmandu | 76.5 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Shanghai | 69.7 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Kathmandu | 68.2 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Shanghai | 75.7 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Shanghai wins on 14 of 22 metrics compared to Kathmandu.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Kathmandu leads safety, health, and air quality; Shanghai leads cost, rent, and housing.
cost
Kathmandu
103.8
Shanghai
76.4
safety
Kathmandu
64.9
Shanghai
59.7
housing
Kathmandu
$3,043
Shanghai
$2,967
housing
Kathmandu
14.9x
Shanghai
12.4x
jobs
Kathmandu
$622/mo
Shanghai
$1,654/mo
jobs
Kathmandu
8.7%
Shanghai
8.1%
health
Kathmandu
76.5
Shanghai
69.7
health
Kathmandu
68.2 years
Shanghai
75.7 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Kathmandu
-0.7%
Shanghai
2.0%
education
Kathmandu
73.3
Shanghai
68.6
transport
Kathmandu
77.6
Shanghai
70.3
safety
Kathmandu
20.1 per 100k
Shanghai
25.1 per 100k
safety
Kathmandu
45.9 per 100k
Shanghai
33.0 per 100k
health
Kathmandu
24.9%
Shanghai
23.9%
quality
Kathmandu
5.7
Shanghai
6.6
housing
Kathmandu
$4,141/sqm
Shanghai
$10,953/sqm
religion
Kathmandu
11.0%
Shanghai
51.4%
religion
Kathmandu
51.6%
Shanghai
38.1%
religion
Kathmandu
45.5%
Shanghai
58.1%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.