Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beihai and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Beihai: $744 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Beihai
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Beihai Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Beihai

🇨🇳 China

$744

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beihai and in Shenzhen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Beihai and in Shenzhen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $744 per month in Beihai vs $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Beihai $744
Shenzhen $1,138

A couple spends around $1,167 per month in Beihai vs $1,750 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Beihai $1,167
Shenzhen $1,750

A family of three spends $1,590 per month in Beihai vs $2,362 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Beihai $1,590
Shenzhen $2,362

Beihai is about 35% cheaper than Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Beihai and Shenzhen are more affordable than the global median – Beihai 45% lower, Shenzhen 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 ¥22.74

$3.67 ¥24.53

-7.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.56 ¥131

$29.43 ¥197

-33.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 ¥37.30

$5.28 ¥35.28

5.68%

Cappuccino

$2.43 ¥16.28

$3.27 ¥21.83

-25.69%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ¥3.09

$0.54 ¥3.63

-14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥1.99

$0.33 ¥2.20

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.13

$1.53 ¥10.23

-20.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.34

$2.15 ¥14.38

6.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ¥12.68

$1.62 ¥10.85

17.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.36

$1.62 ¥10.85

4.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.33

$1.09 ¥7.27

0.92%

Eggs

$1.87 ¥12.53

$1.71 ¥11.44

9.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 ¥93.3

$21.39 ¥143

-34.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 ¥19.54

$3.45 ¥23.08

-15.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 ¥70.8

$14.25 ¥95.3

-25.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 ¥14.02

$2.34 ¥15.64

-10.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$1.58 ¥10.55

-6.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.19

$1.95 ¥13.03

-22.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$1.47 ¥9.85

-13.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.92

$1.08 ¥7.21

-31.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.45

$1.25 ¥8.35

-22.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.47

$0.59 ¥3.97

13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.33

$0.59 ¥3.95

-15.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥22.70

$4.41 ¥29.47

-23.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 ¥80.6

$11.73 ¥78.4

2.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.95

$0.98 ¥6.57

-24.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.10

$1.75 ¥11.69

-5.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.63 ¥4.20

-52.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.17 ¥115

$22.28 ¥149

-22.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 ¥10.42

$1.45 ¥9.71

7.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.39 ¥2.60

-20.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 ¥41.52

$7.02 ¥46.93

-11.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ¥9.31

$1.34 ¥8.97

3.73%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.2K ¥121.6K

$19.4K ¥129.9K

-6.39%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.2K ¥121.9K

$18.1K ¥121.4K

0.47%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$61.5 ¥411

$65.1 ¥435

-5.48%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$9.42 ¥63.0

$10.25 ¥68.5

-8.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.09 ¥80.8

$16.17 ¥108

-25.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.99 ¥274

$48.78 ¥326

-15.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.01 ¥93.7

$17.24 ¥115

-18.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 ¥38.19

$7.51 ¥50.2

-23.97%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$458 ¥3,064

$538 ¥3,596

-14.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K ¥122.5K

$24.3K ¥162.2K

-24.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.58 ¥325

$54.9 ¥367

-11.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.03 ¥254

$40.04 ¥268

-5.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 ¥534

$72.4 ¥484

10.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 ¥528

$93.4 ¥624

-15.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 ¥1,862

$768 ¥5,135

-63.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ¥1,190

$486 ¥3,248

-63.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$718 ¥4,803

$1,982 ¥13.3K

-63.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥2,221

$869 ¥5,813

-61.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,665 ¥24.5K

$13.8K ¥92.0K

-73.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,221 ¥14.8K

$6,098 ¥40.8K

-63.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.35

0.30%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Beihai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Beihai

$212 28.5%

Shenzhen

$251 22.1% 18.6% $39

Accommodation & Living

Beihai

$178 23.9%

Shenzhen

$486 42.7% 173% $308

Clothing & Footwear

Beihai

$110 14.9%

Shenzhen

$117 10.3% 6.2% $6.9

Eating Out

Beihai

$87 11.7%

Shenzhen

$100 8.8% 14.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beihai

$83 11.2%

Shenzhen

$92 8% 10.2% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Beihai

$52 7%

Shenzhen

$64 5.6% 21.7% $11

Getting Around

Beihai

$22 2.9%

Shenzhen

$28 2.5% 31.1% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $279 in Beihai versus $768 in Shenzhen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Beihai versus $29.00 in Shenzhen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $251 – making Beihai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beihai

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

15:38 3:38 PM

Same time as Beihai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,617,500

12,528,300

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Beihai Shenzhen 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Beihai vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen costs about 53% more than Beihai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,116 per month in Beihai and $1,706 in Shenzhen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Beihai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Shenzhen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Beihai and $29.00 in Shenzhen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Beihai, where all-in costs run around $744, than in Shenzhen at $1,138. In Beihai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Beihai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Beihai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shenzhen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.