Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lucknow vs Shanghai

Lucknow vs Shanghai

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lucknow 56% cheaper Shanghai +226 Mbps N/A / High

Lucknow

Rhythmic Creations/Unsplash

Shanghai

Li Yang/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$830

Lucknow

$1,872

Shanghai

Internet

Mbps

287

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Lucknow

High

Shanghai

Air Quality

5/5

Lucknow

5/5

Shanghai

Healthcare

N/A

Lucknow

High

Shanghai

Population

2.9m

Lucknow

24.2m

Shanghai

Lucknow (India) and Shanghai (China) are both in Asia, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Budget-conscious nomads take note: Lucknow costs $830/mo, saving 56% compared to Shanghai's $1872/mo — that's $12504 per year.

For families, Lucknow costs $668.408773077319/mo compared to Shanghai's $3661.812890560195/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Shanghai's 287 Mbps (global #7) — considerably faster than Lucknow's 61 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

Both Lucknow and Shanghai share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Lucknow and Shanghai.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lucknow is February (around 23 degrees, 0mm rain, score 375), while Shanghai peaks in May (26 degrees, 0mm rain, score 465). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LucknowShanghai

Nomad$830/mo$1,872/mo

Expat$484/mo$1,265/mo

Local$191/mo$1,046/mo

Family$668/mo$3,662/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LucknowShanghai

City Speed

61 Mbps

287 Mbps#7

Country Speed61 Mbps244 Mbps

Environment & Health

LucknowShanghai

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AHigh

ClimateN/AHigh

Humidity1846

Quality of Life

LucknowShanghai

SafetyN/AHigh

HealthcareN/AHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lucknow

Shanghai

Jan

19°

0mm335

7°

0mm407

Feb

23°

0mm375

5°

2mm389

Mar

30°

0mm375

12°

0mm425

Apr

38°

0mm325

20°

2mm385

May

42°

0mm315

26°

0mm465

Jun

44°

0mm315

31°

3mm395

Jul

40°

6mm191

40°

0mm427

Aug

38°

7mm196

41°

0mm402

Sep

37°

2mm303

35°

0mm457

Oct

36°

0mm375

23°

0mm442

Nov

29°

0mm375

15°

0mm427

Dec

22°

0mm355

6°

0mm417

Who Should Choose Lucknow?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $830
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $668.408773077319/mo for families
Major city energy with 2.9m residents
Peak season in February — 23 degrees, score 375

Who Should Choose Shanghai?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 287 Mbps
High safety rating for peace of mind
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Major city energy with 24.2m residents
Peak season in May — 26 degrees, score 465

Overall Verdict

For the typical digital nomad, Shanghai is the stronger pick. At $1872/mo it beats Lucknow's $830/mo by 56%, and the 287 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Lucknow Shanghai

ItemLucknowShanghaiDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3.07$5.69

46%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$12.28$39.86

69%

McMeal or equivalent combo$3.07$5.69

46%

Cappuccino (regular)$1.57$3.98

61%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.84$1.14

38%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.68$4.27

14%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.35$0.53

34%

Water (0.33L)$0.18$0.33

45%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$0.68$2.74

75%

White bread (500g)$0.45$2.61

83%

White rice (1kg)$0.71$1.22

42%

Eggs (12)$1.03$2.22

54%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.48$4.86

28%

Beef round (1kg)$6.52$13.12

50%

Local cheese (1kg)$3.96$18.35

78%

Apples (1kg)$1.49$2.26

34%

Bananas (1kg)$0.58$1.6

64%

Oranges (1kg)$0.82$2.19

63%

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.43$1.53

72%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.25$0.84

70%

Onions (1kg)$0.35$1.04

66%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.43$0.83

48%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.35$0.64

45%

Wine, mid-range bottle$6.14$14.24

57%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.81$0.94

48%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.39$1.97

42%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$4.05$3.56

12%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.43$0.57

25%

Monthly transport pass$12.28$28.47

57%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$0.61$2.14

71%

Taxi per 1km$0.15$0.43

65%

Taxi 1hr waiting$1.23$8.54

86%

Gasoline (1L)$1.25$1.2

Volkswagen Golf (new)$14,738.11$19,929.68

26%

Toyota Corolla (new)$24,393.62$20,750.95

15%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$47.83$66

28%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$8.66$17.07

49%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.02$0.03

33%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$19.96$63.49

69%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$10.23$14.95

32%

Cinema, 1 ticket$3.68$8.54

57%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$51.34$1,382.62

96%

International primary school/yr$1,271.16$26,379.45

95%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$27.55$70.49

61%

Summer dress (chain store)$34.39$34.92

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$40.91$88.21

54%

Men's leather business shoes$38.92$123.51

68%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$122.82$1,091.93

89%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$77.99$569.88

86%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$305.51$2,952.7

90%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$180.13$1,561.59

88%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,067.19$17,746.11

94%

Price per m², outside centre$599.7$9,416.35

94%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$569.74$1,419.87

60%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$8.47$5.03

41%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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