Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $726 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
Learn more

Chengdu Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
Learn more

Shenzhen Living Index

Jump to prices

Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$726

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $726 per month in Chengdu vs $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Chengdu $726
Shenzhen $1,117

A couple spends around $1,170 per month in Chengdu vs $1,714 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Chengdu $1,170
Shenzhen $1,714

A family of three spends $1,614 per month in Chengdu vs $2,310 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Chengdu $1,614
Shenzhen $2,310

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

Both Chengdu and Shenzhen are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 47% lower, Shenzhen 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.40

$3.66 ¥24.30

-20.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.28 ¥148

$29.39 ¥195

-24.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 ¥32.22

$5.28 ¥35.10

-8.14%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ¥19.91

$3.36 ¥22.30

-10.71%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.58 ¥3.84

-12.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.72

$0.36 ¥2.37

-27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ¥10.04

$1.48 ¥9.80

2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.17

$2.14 ¥14.23

6.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.26

$1.54 ¥10.20

20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ¥9.87

$1.63 ¥10.82

-8.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.56

$1.14 ¥7.59

-13.16%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.68

$1.75 ¥11.61

-8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.31 ¥95.0

$20.74 ¥138

-31.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ¥24.20

$3.41 ¥22.67

6.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 ¥73.2

$14.42 ¥95.8

-23.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.59

$2.25 ¥14.93

-15.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ¥9.21

$1.62 ¥10.77

-14.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.89

$1.94 ¥12.86

-46.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥7.96

$1.42 ¥9.45

-15.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.90

$1.08 ¥7.19

-31.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.56

$1.28 ¥8.50

-46.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.22

$0.60 ¥3.96

6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.83

$0.56 ¥3.75

3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.49

$4.43 ¥29.44

-16.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.37 ¥29.03

$12.08 ¥80.3

-63.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.57

$0.92 ¥6.14

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.80

$1.83 ¥12.12

-19.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.44 ¥2.90

-34.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.23 ¥168

$18.05 ¥120

39.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ¥8.82

$1.53 ¥10.13

-13.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.41 ¥2.74

-24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 ¥29.02

$7.36 ¥48.88

-40.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$1.32 ¥8.76

-3.79%

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

$19.6K ¥130.5K

$19.2K ¥127.7K

2.18%

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

$18.0K ¥119.9K

0.01%

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

$46.65 ¥310

$64.8 ¥430

-27.98%

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

$9.40 ¥62.5

$9.90 ¥65.7

-5.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.87 ¥85.5

$16.40 ¥109

-21.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.11 ¥180

$48.95 ¥325

-44.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.21 ¥74.4

$16.95 ¥113

-33.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 ¥40.95

$7.28 ¥48.35

-15.25%

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

$1,161 ¥7,711

$537 ¥3,565

116.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K ¥101.3K

$24.4K ¥162.1K

-37.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.36 ¥168

$55.7 ¥370

-54.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.52 ¥183

$40.56 ¥269

-32.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.1 ¥379

$73.1 ¥485

-21.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.2 ¥353

$93.9 ¥623

-43.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 ¥2,824

$753 ¥5,000

-43.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 ¥1,537

$471 ¥3,126

-50.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 ¥5,017

$1,847 ¥12.3K

-59.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 ¥3,172

$830 ¥5,514

-42.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,476 ¥23.1K

$13.2K ¥87.6K

-73.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,845 ¥12.3K

$6,479 ¥43.0K

-71.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,278 ¥8,487

$1,763 ¥11.7K

-27.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.35

0.90%

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

Last update for Chengdu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chengdu

$231 31.9%

Shenzhen

$471 42.1% 103% $239

Groceries & Markets

Chengdu

$195 26.8%

Shenzhen

$249 22.3% 27.8% $54

Eating Out

Chengdu

$89 12.3%

Shenzhen

$101 9% 13.2% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chengdu

$73 10.1%

Shenzhen

$118 10.6% 61.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chengdu

$69 9.5%

Shenzhen

$91 8.2% 32.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chengdu

$39 5.4%

Shenzhen

$64 5.7% 61% $24

Getting Around

Chengdu

$29 4%

Shenzhen

$23 2.1% 20.2% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Chengdu versus $753 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 38% higher in Shenzhen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chengdu versus $29 in Shenzhen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $249 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

Same time as Chengdu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,937,757

12,528,300

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chengdu Shenzhen 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chengdu
Shenzhen

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

Chengdu vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $726 in Chengdu, $1,117 in Shenzhen – Chengdu comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,090 per month in Chengdu and $1,675 in Shenzhen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chengdu and $29 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 $726 in Chengdu and $1,117 in Shenzhen. That makes Chengdu about 35% cheaper.

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