CN flag
Chengdu

China

vs

Climate

Chengdu logs 6 frost days a year to Shanghai's 12 — Chengdu wins by 6. Shanghai also leads on sunny days by 50.

ChengduShanghai
Sunny days
103153
Hot days
7372
Frost days
612
Rain days
123122
Outdoor dinner months
7/126/12
Avg wind
1.7 m/s3.5 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,5111,772
Darkest month sun
81 hrs/mo103 hrs/mo
UV peak month
6.27.8

Chengdu

Feels-like °C

7
10
15
20
25
29
32
31
26
18
15
6

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Shanghai

Feels-like °C

0
1
8
14
21
26
32
32
28
18
11
2

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Shanghai averages $1,530/mo for balanced living; Chengdu has no cost baseline yet.

Chengdu

monthly · balanced

Shanghai

$1,530

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,180Comfort $2,841
Top 85%in Among 40 Asia cities

Mobility

Shanghai scores 3.2 on mobility (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no mobility baseline.

/5
vs
3.2/5
ChengduShanghai
WalkabilityTransitFlights

Culture

Shanghai's culture score of 4.0 sits well above Chengdu's 0.0.

0.0/5
vs
4.0/5
ChengduShanghai
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Shanghai leads

Nature & Outdoors

Shanghai scores 3.2 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no nature & outdoors baseline.

/5
vs
3.2/5
ChengduShanghai
Green AreasLakesRunning

Safety

Shanghai scores 3.4 on safety (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no safety baseline.

/5
vs
3.4/5
ChengduShanghai
RoadFlooding

Career

Shanghai scores 4.2 on career (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no career baseline.

/5
vs
4.2/5
ChengduShanghai
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

Shanghai scores 2.9 on social & community (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no social & community baseline.

/5
vs
2.9/5
ChengduShanghai
Expat-First CommunityMulticultural MixUrban EnergyStreet Atmosphere

Food & Dining

Shanghai scores 4.0 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no food & dining baseline.

/5
vs
4.0/5
ChengduShanghai
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

Shanghai scores 3.8 on family (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no family baseline.

/5
vs
3.8/5
ChengduShanghai
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpa

Healthcare

Shanghai scores 2.4 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no healthcare baseline.

/5
vs
2.4/5
ChengduShanghai
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

Chengdu averages 44.6 µg/m³ (very unhealthy) PM2.5 annually versus Shanghai's 34.1 µg/m³ (unhealthy) — Shanghai breathes ~24% cleaner air (10.5 µg/m³ lower).

Chengdu

Shanghai

44.6µg/m³
34.1µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Very Unhealthy
Unhealthy

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Chengdu (5.6M) and Shanghai (30.7M) are 5.5x in population — Shanghai is the larger metro, Chengdu the smaller; on land area Shanghai spans roughly 3.6x more ground.

4.4x

Shanghai is roughly 4.4x the scale of Chengdu

Combined population & area comparison

CN flagShanghai
4.4x
CN flagChengdu
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.CN flagShanghai30.7M5.5x
2.CN flagChengdu5.6M1x
Area
1.CN flagShanghai3,128 km²3.6x
2.CN flagChengdu867 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
41 km49 km

CN flagChengdu

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
75 km69 km

CN flagShanghai

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Chengdu vs Shanghai

Which is cheaper, Chengdu or Shanghai?
Shanghai has an estimated monthly cost of $1,530.
How does the climate compare between Chengdu and Shanghai?
Sunny days: 103 vs 153 d — Shanghai higher Annual sunshine: 1,511 vs 1,772 hrs — Shanghai higher Winter sunshine: 81 vs 103 hrs/day — Shanghai higher Hot days (>30°C): 73 vs 72 d — Similar Frost days: 6 vs 12 d — Chengdu lower Rainy days: 123 vs 122 d — Similar
Is Chengdu or Shanghai safer?
Shanghai has a safety score of 3.4/5.
Should I move to Chengdu or Shanghai?
Chengdu and Shanghai are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Chengdu and Shanghai stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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