Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chongqing and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Chongqing: $712 a month against $1,096 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Chongqing
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Chongqing Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Chongqing

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,096

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $712 per month in Chongqing vs $1,096 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Chongqing $712
Shenzhen $1,096

A couple spends around $1,145 per month in Chongqing vs $1,708 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Chongqing $1,145
Shenzhen $1,708

A family of three spends $1,578 per month in Chongqing vs $2,320 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Chongqing $1,578
Shenzhen $2,320

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

Both Chongqing and Shenzhen are more affordable than the global median – Chongqing 47% lower, Shenzhen 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 ¥17.54

$3.79 ¥25.21

-30.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.70 ¥151

$30.66 ¥204

-25.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 ¥32.68

$5.15 ¥34.27

-4.66%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ¥13.50

$3.36 ¥22.39

-39.58%

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

$0.47 ¥3.12

$0.58 ¥3.85

-18.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.33 ¥2.16

-12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.15

$1.49 ¥9.91

-18.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥12.37

$2.16 ¥14.37

-13.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ¥13.34

$1.62 ¥10.79

23.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.09

$1.56 ¥10.38

7.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$1.14 ¥7.58

-46.49%

Eggs

$2.18 ¥14.54

$1.65 ¥11.01

32.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.89 ¥119

$21.13 ¥141

-15.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.01

$3.53 ¥23.49

-6.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.19 ¥67.9

$14.59 ¥97.2

-30.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 ¥9.98

$2.34 ¥15.60

-35.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$1.62 ¥10.78

-20.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.08

$1.95 ¥13.00

-37.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.17

$1.52 ¥10.14

-19.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ¥4.42

$1.09 ¥7.25

-39.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.38

$1.29 ¥8.61

-25.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ¥5.84

$0.62 ¥4.12

41.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ¥4.37

$0.60 ¥3.97

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ¥20.56

$4.59 ¥30.58

-32.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 ¥58.6

$12.08 ¥80.4

-27.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.12

$0.95 ¥6.35

-18.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.00

$1.69 ¥11.24

-2.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.43 ¥2.88

-27.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.24 ¥121

$17.78 ¥118

2.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ¥9.86

$1.54 ¥10.26

-3.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.43 ¥2.84

-32.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ¥23.80

$7.07 ¥47.05

-49.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$1.32 ¥8.80

-2.27%

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

$19.5K ¥129.7K

$19.3K ¥128.8K

0.73%

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

$17.1K ¥114.0K

$18.4K ¥122.2K

-6.68%

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

$44.61 ¥297

$63.3 ¥421

-29.53%

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

$6.97 ¥46.42

$9.87 ¥65.7

-29.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.08 ¥47.11

$16.37 ¥109

-56.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ¥339

$48.08 ¥320

5.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.45 ¥69.6

$16.89 ¥112

-38.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ¥38.94

$7.63 ¥50.8

-23.33%

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

$287 ¥1,912

$540 ¥3,595

-46.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.3K ¥268.2K

0.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.16 ¥267

$56.1 ¥373

-28.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.88 ¥199

$40.63 ¥271

-26.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.3 ¥435

$71.7 ¥477

-8.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.2 ¥434

$81.5 ¥543

-20.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 ¥2,522

$764 ¥5,088

-50.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ¥1,264

$454 ¥3,022

-58.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 ¥5,134

$1,793 ¥11.9K

-57.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 ¥2,493

$839 ¥5,586

-55.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,584 ¥17.2K

$13.5K ¥89.9K

-80.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,695 ¥11.3K

$6,628 ¥44.1K

-74.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,206 ¥8,030

$1,857 ¥12.4K

-35.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.34

3.36

-0.60%

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

Last update for Chongqing: October 31, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chongqing

$215 30.2%

Shenzhen

$252 23% 17.4% $37

Accommodation & Living

Chongqing

$190 26.7%

Shenzhen

$454 41.4% 139% $264

Clothing & Footwear

Chongqing

$90 12.7%

Shenzhen

$112 10.3% 24.7% $22

Eating Out

Chongqing

$73 10.3%

Shenzhen

$101 9.3% 39% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Chongqing

$63 8.8%

Shenzhen

$63 5.8% 1.1% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chongqing

$59 8.2%

Shenzhen

$90 8.2% 52.6% $31

Getting Around

Chongqing

$22 3.2%

Shenzhen

$23 2.1% 3.4% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $379 in Chongqing versus $764 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 54% 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 $23 in Chongqing versus $31 in Shenzhen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $252 – making Chongqing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chongqing

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

01:17 1:17 AM

Same time as Chongqing

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,564,449

12,528,300

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chongqing Shenzhen 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chongqing
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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

Chongqing vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shenzhen is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,067 per month in Chongqing and $1,644 in Shenzhen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chongqing, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $379 there versus $764 in Shenzhen.

Kindergarten costs $287 per month in Chongqing and $540 in Shenzhen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Shenzhen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chongqing, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Shenzhen at $1,096. In Chongqing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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