Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guilin and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Guilin: $659 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Guilin
Learn more

Guilin Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
Learn more

Shenzhen Living Index

Jump to prices

Guilin

🇨🇳 China

$659

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $659 per month in Guilin vs $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Guilin $659
Shenzhen $1,138

A couple spends around $1,058 per month in Guilin vs $1,750 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Guilin $1,058
Shenzhen $1,750

A family of three spends $1,457 per month in Guilin vs $2,362 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Guilin $1,457
Shenzhen $2,362

Guilin is about 42% cheaper than Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Guilin and Shenzhen are more affordable than the global median – Guilin 51% lower, Shenzhen 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.22 ¥14.85

$3.67 ¥24.53

-39.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.16 ¥101

$29.43 ¥197

-48.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.05 ¥20.39

$5.28 ¥35.28

-42.23%

Cappuccino

$2.14 ¥14.32

$3.27 ¥21.83

-34.56%

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

$0.42 ¥2.81

$0.54 ¥3.63

-22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.33 ¥2.20

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 ¥5.40

$1.53 ¥10.23

-47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.33

$2.15 ¥14.38

-0.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.77

$1.62 ¥10.85

-9.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.62 ¥10.85

-22.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$1.09 ¥7.27

-43.12%

Eggs

$1.83 ¥12.26

$1.71 ¥11.44

7.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$21.39 ¥143

-38.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ¥22.86

$3.45 ¥23.08

-0.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ¥74.8

$14.25 ¥95.3

-21.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.74

$2.34 ¥15.64

-37.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.90

$1.58 ¥10.55

-25.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.92

$1.95 ¥13.03

-46.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.28

$1.47 ¥9.85

-36.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.90

$1.08 ¥7.21

-32.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.89

$1.25 ¥8.35

-29.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.59 ¥3.97

16.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.91

$0.59 ¥3.95

-27.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 ¥25.10

$4.41 ¥29.47

-14.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 ¥88.0

$11.73 ¥78.4

12.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.63

$0.98 ¥6.57

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥9.67

$1.75 ¥11.69

-17.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.63 ¥4.20

-53.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.97 ¥120

$22.28 ¥149

-19.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 ¥8.73

$1.45 ¥9.71

-9.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.39 ¥2.60

-25.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 ¥52.1

$7.02 ¥46.93

10.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥8.10

$1.34 ¥8.97

-9.70%

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

$19.2K ¥128.5K

$19.4K ¥129.9K

-1.04%

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

$17.4K ¥116.4K

$18.1K ¥121.4K

-4.05%

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

$24.59 ¥164

$65.1 ¥435

-62.23%

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

$4.89 ¥32.69

$10.25 ¥68.5

-52.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.49 ¥76.8

$16.17 ¥108

-28.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.59 ¥278

$48.78 ¥326

-14.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$17.24 ¥115

-15.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.33 ¥35.63

$7.51 ¥50.2

-29.03%

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

$407 ¥2,719

$538 ¥3,596

-24.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ¥105.5K

$24.3K ¥162.2K

-34.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.52 ¥291

$54.9 ¥367

-20.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.64 ¥212

$40.04 ¥268

-20.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.2 ¥503

$72.4 ¥484

3.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.2 ¥496

$93.4 ¥624

-20.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 ¥1,967

$768 ¥5,135

-61.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ¥1,226

$486 ¥3,248

-62.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ¥4,173

$1,982 ¥13.3K

-68.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ¥2,486

$869 ¥5,813

-57.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,334 ¥8,916

$13.8K ¥92.0K

-90.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,980 ¥13.2K

$6,098 ¥40.8K

-67.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$497 ¥3,322

$1,736 ¥11.6K

-71.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.35

0.30%

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

Last update for Guilin: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Guilin

$196 29.7%

Shenzhen

$251 22.1% 28.2% $55

Accommodation & Living

Guilin

$183 27.8%

Shenzhen

$486 42.7% 165% $302

Clothing & Footwear

Guilin

$101 15.3%

Shenzhen

$117 10.3% 16.2% $16

Eating Out

Guilin

$64 9.7%

Shenzhen

$100 8.8% 56.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Guilin

$52 7.9%

Shenzhen

$64 5.6% 22.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guilin

$41 6.2%

Shenzhen

$92 8% 123% $51

Getting Around

Guilin

$22 3.3%

Shenzhen

$28 2.5% 29% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $294 in Guilin versus $768 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 249% 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 $15.00 in Guilin versus $29.00 in Shenzhen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $251 – making Guilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Guilin

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

Same time as Guilin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,931,137

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Guilin Shenzhen 490 km

From you

Guilin
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

Guilin vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shenzhen is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $989 per month in Guilin and $1,706 in Shenzhen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guilin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Guilin and $29.00 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 $659 in Guilin and $1,138 in Shenzhen. That's a gap of about 73%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guilin, where all-in costs run around $659, than in Shenzhen at $1,138. In Guilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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