Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Hangzhou: $985 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shenzhen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

48

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $985 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Hangzhou $985
Shenzhen $1,117

A couple spends around $1,533 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,714 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,533
Shenzhen $1,714

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $2,310 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,080
Shenzhen $2,310

Hangzhou is about 12% cheaper than Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hangzhou and Shenzhen are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 28% lower, Shenzhen 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.78

$3.66 ¥24.31

1.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.03 ¥173

$29.39 ¥195

-11.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ¥31.10

$5.28 ¥35.12

-11.36%

Cappuccino

$3.48 ¥23.15

$3.36 ¥22.31

3.57%

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

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.58 ¥3.84

5.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.36 ¥2.37

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.07

$1.48 ¥9.81

-17.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥14.80

$2.14 ¥14.24

4.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.20

$1.54 ¥10.21

19.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.71

$1.63 ¥10.83

-1.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.32

$1.14 ¥7.59

-3.51%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥14.00

$1.75 ¥11.62

20.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 ¥127

$20.74 ¥138

-8.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 ¥24.87

$3.41 ¥22.68

9.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.29 ¥68.4

$14.42 ¥95.8

-28.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ¥15.41

$2.25 ¥14.94

3.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.91

$1.62 ¥10.77

-17.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.09

$1.94 ¥12.86

-21.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.18

$1.42 ¥9.46

7.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.22

$1.08 ¥7.19

-12.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.26

$1.28 ¥8.51

-26.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.17

$0.60 ¥3.96

5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.56 ¥3.75

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥26.72

$4.43 ¥29.46

-9.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 ¥88.9

$12.08 ¥80.3

10.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.11

$0.92 ¥6.14

-16.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.96

$1.83 ¥12.13

-9.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.44 ¥2.90

6.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.73 ¥118

$18.05 ¥120

-1.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ¥13.03

$1.53 ¥10.14

28.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.41 ¥2.74

-7.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 ¥46.41

$7.36 ¥48.90

-5.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.74

$1.32 ¥8.76

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

$19.7K ¥131.1K

$19.2K ¥127.8K

2.61%

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

$18.4K ¥122.2K

$18.0K ¥119.9K

1.87%

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

$48.04 ¥319

$64.8 ¥430

-25.83%

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

$10.04 ¥66.7

$9.90 ¥65.8

1.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.02 ¥99.8

$16.40 ¥109

-8.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ¥351

$48.95 ¥325

7.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥133

$16.95 ¥113

17.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ¥50.2

$7.28 ¥48.37

3.71%

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

$577 ¥3,831

$537 ¥3,567

7.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K ¥237.8K

$24.4K ¥162.2K

46.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 ¥400

$55.7 ¥370

8.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.24 ¥281

$40.56 ¥270

4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ¥558

$73.1 ¥485

15.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥735

$93.9 ¥624

17.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 ¥3,669

$753 ¥5,003

-26.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥2,337

$471 ¥3,127

-25.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥7,422

$1,847 ¥12.3K

-39.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ¥4,164

$830 ¥5,516

-24.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,668 ¥51.0K

$13.2K ¥87.6K

-41.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,819 ¥25.4K

$6,479 ¥43.1K

-41.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,582 ¥10.5K

$1,763 ¥11.7K

-10.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.35

4.48%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$352 35.7%

Shenzhen

$471 42.1% 33.8% $119

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$235 23.9%

Shenzhen

$249 22.3% 5.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.6%

Shenzhen

$118 10.6% 11.4% $15

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 10.2%

Shenzhen

$101 9% 0.9% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$73 7.4%

Shenzhen

$91 8.2% 24.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$68 6.9%

Shenzhen

$64 5.7% 6.4% $4.4

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$23 2.4%

Shenzhen

$23 2.1% 0.5% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $552 in Hangzhou 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 11% 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 $26 in Hangzhou versus $29 in Shenzhen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $249 – making Hangzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

21:13 9:13 PM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

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

On the map

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Between locations

Hangzhou Shenzhen 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hangzhou
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

Hangzhou vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shenzhen is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,477 per month in Hangzhou 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 Hangzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $552 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou and $29 in Shenzhen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Shenzhen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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