Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changzhou and Shenyang

For one person, living costs are similar in Changzhou and in Shenyang: $741 and $718 a month, rent and utilities included.

36

Cost of Living Index in Changzhou
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Changzhou Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Shenyang
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Shenyang Living Index

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Changzhou

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Shenyang

🇨🇳 China

$718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Changzhou and in Shenyang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $741 in Changzhou versus $718 in Shenyang.

Changzhou $741
Shenyang $718

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,217 in Changzhou versus $1,071 in Shenyang.

Changzhou $1,217
Shenyang $1,071

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,694 in Changzhou versus $1,424 in Shenyang.

Changzhou $1,694
Shenyang $1,424

Living in Changzhou is roughly 3% more expensive than in Shenyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Changzhou 45% lower, Shenyang 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$3.00 ¥20.07

-2.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.54 ¥191

$22.24 ¥149

28.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 ¥30.16

$5.08 ¥33.98

-11.22%

Cappuccino

$2.22 ¥14.82

$2.46 ¥16.45

-9.76%

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

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.47 ¥3.17

-19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.53

$0.38 ¥2.54

-39.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.87 ¥5.79

-28.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥9.69

$1.82 ¥12.16

-20.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.47

$1.89 ¥12.67

-1.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ¥8.59

$2.46 ¥16.46

-47.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.65

$1.08 ¥7.19

-7.41%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.53

$1.03 ¥6.88

66.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ¥49.53

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.82 ¥18.85

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.35 ¥82.6

$11.99 ¥80.2

3.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ¥14.44

$1.78 ¥11.91

21.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.58

$1.19 ¥7.94

45.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ¥13.14

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.96

$1.53 ¥10.23

-32.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.13

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.61 ¥4.08

-36.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.18

$0.64 ¥4.27

-3.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ¥22.03

$3.77 ¥25.17

-12.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 ¥70.8

$16.53 ¥111

-36.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.48

$0.66 ¥4.40

24.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.45

$1.09 ¥7.27

43.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.38 ¥2.57

-13.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.32 ¥95.8

$12.91 ¥86.3

10.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ¥10.09

$1.35 ¥9.04

11.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.31 ¥2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ¥19.57

$2.96 ¥19.78

-1.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$1.29 ¥8.65

1.55%

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

$17.1K ¥114.1K

$19.1K ¥127.7K

-10.61%

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

$13.8K ¥92.3K

$18.3K ¥122.5K

-24.62%

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

$57.5 ¥385

$75.4 ¥504

-23.71%

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

$8.13 ¥54.3

$15.87 ¥106

-48.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.66 ¥71.3

$14.87 ¥99.4

-28.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.60 ¥271

$22.27 ¥149

82.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.75 ¥98.6

$10.79 ¥72.1

36.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 ¥30.53

$6.09 ¥40.75

-24.96%

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

$251 ¥1,681

$539 ¥3,606

-53.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ¥101.0K

$21.3K ¥142.1K

-28.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥370

$42.49 ¥284

30.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.58 ¥151

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ¥508

$59.5 ¥398

27.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.2 ¥510

$69.5 ¥465

9.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$285 ¥1,908

$277 ¥1,850

3.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 ¥1,529

$242 ¥1,619

-5.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 ¥6,132

$558 ¥3,734

64.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ¥3,311

$393 ¥2,625

26.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,942 ¥19.7K

$2,272 ¥15.2K

29.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,613 ¥10.8K

$1,308 ¥8,745

23.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 ¥7,131

$1,115 ¥7,454

-4.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

4.37

-23.34%

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

Last update for Changzhou: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shenyang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Changzhou

$229 30.9%

Shenyang

$242 33.7% 5.9% $13

Groceries & Markets

Changzhou

$192 25.9%

Shenyang

$160 * 22.3% 16.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Changzhou

$104 14%

Shenyang

$77 * 10.8% 25.4% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changzhou

$76 10.3%

Shenyang

$106 14.8% 39.1% $30

Eating Out

Changzhou

$72 9.7%

Shenyang

$80 11.2% 11.5% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Changzhou

$50 6.7%

Shenyang

$34 4.8% 30.7% $15

Getting Around

Changzhou

$19 2.5%

Shenyang

$17 2.4% 7.1% $1.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $285 in Changzhou and $277 in Shenyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenyang pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Changzhou vs $22.00 in Shenyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $160 per month, with Shenyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changzhou

🇨🇳 Shenyang

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Changzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,278,121

9,199,601

💱 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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Between locations

Changzhou Shenyang 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Changzhou
Shenyang

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

Changzhou vs Shenyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenyang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Shenyang. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $285 in Changzhou versus $277 in Shenyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Changzhou. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

Either city works on $800 a month, though Shenyang gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Shenyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Changzhou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.