Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changshu and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Changshu: $712 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Changshu
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Changshu Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Changshu

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in Changshu versus $1,138 in Shenzhen.

Changshu $712
Shenzhen $1,138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,128 in Changshu versus $1,750 in Shenzhen.

Changshu $1,128
Shenzhen $1,750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,544 in Changshu versus $2,362 in Shenzhen.

Changshu $1,544
Shenzhen $2,362

Living in Changshu costs roughly 37% less than in Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Changshu 47% lower, Shenzhen 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.83 ¥18.91

$3.67 ¥24.53

-22.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.95 ¥147

$29.43 ¥197

-25.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 ¥32.85

$5.28 ¥35.28

-7.01%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ¥19.60

$3.27 ¥21.83

-10.40%

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

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.54 ¥3.63

-14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.33 ¥2.20

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ¥5.82

$1.53 ¥10.23

-43.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥13.66

$2.15 ¥14.38

-5.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.59

$1.62 ¥10.85

16.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.38

$1.62 ¥10.85

-4.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.97

$1.09 ¥7.27

-18.35%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.58

$1.71 ¥11.44

-7.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.6

$21.39 ¥143

-40.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 ¥21.10

$3.45 ¥23.08

-8.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 ¥67.0

$14.25 ¥95.3

-29.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.49

$2.34 ¥15.64

-20.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.58 ¥10.55

-20.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.37

$1.95 ¥13.03

-20.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.70

$1.47 ¥9.85

-21.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.66

$1.08 ¥7.21

-35.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.33

$1.25 ¥8.35

-24.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.72

$0.59 ¥3.97

-5.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.59 ¥3.95

-13.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ¥21.52

$4.41 ¥29.47

-26.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 ¥70.0

$11.73 ¥78.4

-10.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.22

$0.98 ¥6.57

-20.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.53

$1.75 ¥11.69

-10.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.63 ¥4.20

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.48 ¥110

$22.28 ¥149

-26.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ¥9.51

$1.45 ¥9.71

-2.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.17

$0.39 ¥2.60

-15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.35

$7.02 ¥46.93

-5.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.52

$1.34 ¥8.97

-16.42%

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

$19.6K ¥130.7K

$19.4K ¥129.9K

0.66%

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

$17.2K ¥115.1K

$18.1K ¥121.4K

-5.14%

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

$46.01 ¥308

$65.1 ¥435

-29.32%

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

$9.96 ¥66.6

$10.25 ¥68.5

-2.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.63 ¥77.8

$16.17 ¥108

-28.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 ¥275

$48.78 ¥326

-15.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.00 ¥93.6

$17.24 ¥115

-18.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 ¥38.83

$7.51 ¥50.2

-22.64%

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

$329 ¥2,198

$538 ¥3,596

-38.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥112.9K

$24.3K ¥162.2K

-30.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.18 ¥289

$54.9 ¥367

-21.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.03 ¥201

$40.04 ¥268

-25.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ¥483

$72.4 ¥484

-0.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 ¥479

$93.4 ¥624

-23.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,870

$768 ¥5,135

-63.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ¥1,283

$486 ¥3,248

-60.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 ¥3,995

$1,982 ¥13.3K

-69.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ¥2,385

$869 ¥5,813

-58.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ¥20.0K

$13.8K ¥92.0K

-78.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 ¥13.8K

$6,098 ¥40.8K

-66.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

3.35

16.12%

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

Last update for Changshu: October 13, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changshu

$198 27.8%

Shenzhen

$251 22.1% 27.1% $54

Accommodation & Living

Changshu

$192 27%

Shenzhen

$486 42.7% 153% $294

Clothing & Footwear

Changshu

$98 13.7%

Shenzhen

$117 10.3% 20.1% $20

Eating Out

Changshu

$84 11.8%

Shenzhen

$100 8.8% 19% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changshu

$68 9.5%

Shenzhen

$92 8% 35.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Changshu

$53 7.4%

Shenzhen

$64 5.6% 21.1% $11

Getting Around

Changshu

$21 2.9%

Shenzhen

$28 2.5% 36.8% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Changshu and $768 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Changshu vs $29.00 in Shenzhen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $251 per month, with Changshu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changshu

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

Same time as Changshu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,677,050

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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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

Changshu vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,068 in Changshu and $1,706 in Shenzhen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $280 in Changshu versus $768 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changshu – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $29.00 in Shenzhen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $712 per month in Changshu versus $1,138 in Shenzhen – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $712 in Changshu versus $1,138 in Shenzhen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Changshu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Changshu and Shenzhen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Changshu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.