Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Shenzhen

For one person, living costs are similar in Beijing (Pekin) and in Shenzhen: $1,185 and $1,131 a month, rent and utilities included.

58

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beijing (Pekin) 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 Beijing (Pekin) and in Shenzhen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,131 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Shenzhen $1,131

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,741 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Shenzhen $1,741

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $2,352 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Shenzhen $2,352

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 5% more than Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Shenzhen are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Shenzhen 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.31

$3.73 ¥24.93

21.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥202

$29.92 ¥200

0.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.84

$3.39 ¥22.66

5.31%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.55 ¥3.67

-7.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.35 ¥2.36

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$1.47 ¥9.84

-19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.43

$2.17 ¥14.50

-21.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$1.59 ¥10.64

9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$1.63 ¥10.88

8.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$1.14 ¥7.59

13.16%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.78 ¥11.89

9.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.5

$21.25 ¥142

-32.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$3.45 ¥23.10

-4.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$14.69 ¥98.2

-24.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$2.23 ¥14.94

-4.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.61 ¥10.73

7.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.98

$1.89 ¥12.67

10.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$1.41 ¥9.41

9.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$1.04 ¥6.95

-33.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$1.25 ¥8.36

-27.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$0.56 ¥3.76

33.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.61 ¥4.05

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.52

$4.38 ¥29.30

-2.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥93.0

$11.72 ¥78.4

18.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$0.98 ¥6.53

4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.83 ¥12.21

-1.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$0.57 ¥3.82

21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥233

$22.57 ¥151

54.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.52 ¥10.15

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.38 ¥2.55

-7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.68

$6.99 ¥46.71

4.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.35 ¥9.02

-1.48%

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

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$19.8K ¥132.4K

-0.84%

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

$18.0K ¥120.6K

$17.9K ¥119.8K

0.69%

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

$59.1 ¥395

$62.8 ¥420

-5.90%

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

$8.77 ¥58.7

$10.25 ¥68.5

-14.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$16.36 ¥109

-13.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

$49.52 ¥331

-17.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$17.32 ¥116

43.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.74

$7.64 ¥51.1

-2.62%

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

$654 ¥4,375

$526 ¥3,519

24.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.5K

$24.5K ¥164.1K

-2.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥476

$55.1 ¥369

29.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥268

$39.99 ¥267

0.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥590

$72.3 ¥484

21.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥846

$92.7 ¥620

36.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

$771 ¥5,158

22.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

$478 ¥3,195

9.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$1,984 ¥13.3K

19.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

$852 ¥5,696

31.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥82.0K

$13.6K ¥91.2K

-10.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.1K

$6,013 ¥40.2K

7.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$1,751 ¥11.7K

-2.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.35

-6.87%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 17, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Shenzhen

$478 42.3% 8.7% $46

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Shenzhen

$251 22.2% 10% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Shenzhen

$117 10.4% 20.2% $30

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Shenzhen

$102 9% 5.4% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Shenzhen

$89 7.9% 8.9% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Shenzhen

$65 5.7% 15.8% $8.9

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Shenzhen

$28 2.5% 31.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $771 in Shenzhen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2% higher in Shenzhen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $30.00 in Shenzhen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $251 – making Beijing (Pekin) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

08:50 8:50 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

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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Beijing (Pekin) Shenzhen 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Beijing (Pekin)
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Beijing (Pekin) vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,696 in Shenzhen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) and $30.00 in Shenzhen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,131 in Shenzhen. That's a gap of about 5%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shenzhen, where all-in costs run around $1,131, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Shenzhen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shenzhen – 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 Shenzhen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.