Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chenzhou and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Chenzhou: $721 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Chenzhou
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Chenzhou Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Chenzhou

🇨🇳 China

$721

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $721 per month in Chenzhou vs $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Chenzhou $721
Shenzhen $1,117

A couple spends around $1,197 per month in Chenzhou vs $1,714 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Chenzhou $1,197
Shenzhen $1,714

A family of three spends $1,674 per month in Chenzhou vs $2,310 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Chenzhou $1,674
Shenzhen $2,310

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ¥20.18

$3.66 ¥24.39

-17.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.13 ¥148

$29.39 ¥196

-24.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 ¥32.38

$5.28 ¥35.22

-7.95%

Cappuccino

$1.54 ¥10.26

$3.36 ¥22.38

-54.17%

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

$0.51 ¥3.42

$0.58 ¥3.85

-12.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.36 ¥2.37

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ¥8.59

$1.48 ¥9.84

-12.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$2.14 ¥14.28

-11.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 ¥13.11

$1.54 ¥10.24

27.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 ¥15.85

$1.63 ¥10.86

46.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.24

$1.14 ¥7.61

-30.70%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.48

$1.75 ¥11.65

-1.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ¥87.6

$20.74 ¥138

-36.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.13 ¥27.51

$3.41 ¥22.75

21.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 ¥77.1

$14.42 ¥96.1

-19.76%

Apples (1kg)

$0.59 ¥3.93

$2.25 ¥14.99

-73.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.84

$1.62 ¥10.80

-27.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.88

$1.94 ¥12.90

-62.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$1.42 ¥9.48

-16.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.50

$1.08 ¥7.22

-10.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.26

$1.28 ¥8.53

20.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.60 ¥3.98

1.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ¥3.24

$0.56 ¥3.76

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 ¥20.11

$4.43 ¥29.55

-31.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.71 ¥84.7

$12.08 ¥80.6

5.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ¥6.92

$0.92 ¥6.16

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.47

$1.83 ¥12.17

-14.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.05

$0.44 ¥2.91

-29.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.40 ¥103

$18.05 ¥120

-14.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.11

$1.53 ¥10.17

-0.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.41 ¥2.75

-29.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 ¥30.64

$7.36 ¥49.06

-37.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.60

$1.32 ¥8.79

-2.27%

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

$19.3K ¥128.6K

$19.2K ¥128.2K

0.31%

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

$17.4K ¥115.8K

$18.0K ¥120.3K

-3.71%

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

$56.3 ¥375

$64.8 ¥432

-13.05%

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

$8.94 ¥59.6

$9.90 ¥66.0

-9.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.27 ¥75.1

$16.40 ¥109

-31.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.59 ¥284

$48.95 ¥326

-12.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.67 ¥97.8

$16.95 ¥113

-13.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 ¥43.20

$7.28 ¥48.52

-10.99%

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

$329 ¥2,192

$537 ¥3,578

-38.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥112.5K

$24.4K ¥162.7K

-30.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 ¥562

$55.7 ¥372

51.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.01 ¥233

$40.56 ¥270

-13.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 ¥594

$73.1 ¥487

21.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ¥392

$93.9 ¥626

-37.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 ¥2,064

$753 ¥5,018

-58.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ¥1,087

$471 ¥3,137

-65.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 ¥3,892

$1,847 ¥12.3K

-68.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 ¥2,757

$830 ¥5,534

-50.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,531 ¥23.5K

$13.2K ¥87.9K

-73.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ¥12.8K

$6,479 ¥43.2K

-70.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.35

3.28%

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

Last update for Chenzhou: October 26, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chenzhou

$215 29.8%

Shenzhen

$249 22.3% 15.7% $34

Accommodation & Living

Chenzhou

$163 22.6%

Shenzhen

$471 42.1% 189% $307

Clothing & Footwear

Chenzhou

$120 16.7%

Shenzhen

$118 10.6% 1.5% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chenzhou

$77 10.6%

Shenzhen

$91 8.2% 19% $15

Eating Out

Chenzhou

$71 9.8%

Shenzhen

$101 9% 42.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Chenzhou

$56 7.7%

Shenzhen

$64 5.7% 14.3% $8

Getting Around

Chenzhou

$20 2.7%

Shenzhen

$23 2.1% 19.3% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $310 in Chenzhou 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chenzhou versus $29 in Shenzhen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $249 – making Chenzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chenzhou

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

18:05 6:05 PM

Same time as Chenzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,667,134

12,528,300

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 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

Chenzhou vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $721 in Chenzhou, $1,117 in Shenzhen – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,081 per month in Chenzhou 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 Chenzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $310 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Chenzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $329 per month in Chenzhou and $537 in Shenzhen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

For expats, Chenzhou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 55% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.