Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jinan and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinan: $634 a month against $1,107 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Jinan
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Jinan Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

Jump to prices

Jinan

🇨🇳 China

$634

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $634 per month in Jinan vs $1,107 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Jinan $634
Shenzhen $1,107

A couple spends around $1,055 per month in Jinan vs $1,708 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Jinan $1,055
Shenzhen $1,708

A family of three spends $1,475 per month in Jinan vs $2,310 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Jinan $1,475
Shenzhen $2,310

Jinan is about 43% cheaper than Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jinan and Shenzhen are more affordable than the global median – Jinan 53% lower, Shenzhen 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.51 ¥16.69

$3.67 ¥24.43

-31.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.44 ¥163

$29.72 ¥198

-17.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 ¥32.87

$5.30 ¥35.30

-6.79%

Cappuccino

$2.66 ¥17.71

$3.49 ¥23.25

-23.78%

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

$0.44 ¥2.91

$0.53 ¥3.53

-16.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 ¥1.40

$0.35 ¥2.36

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ¥6.24

$1.49 ¥9.91

-36.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.88

$2.23 ¥14.87

-33.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ¥10.85

$1.61 ¥10.74

1.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ¥9.49

$1.62 ¥10.77

-11.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.21

$1.14 ¥7.59

7.89%

Eggs

$1.07 ¥7.11

$1.65 ¥11.01

-35.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 ¥78.1

$21.20 ¥141

-44.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 ¥21.64

$3.43 ¥22.85

-5.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ¥65.7

$14.52 ¥96.7

-32.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.17

$2.33 ¥15.49

-40.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.09

$1.68 ¥11.16

-36.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 ¥9.10

$1.98 ¥13.22

-30.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.37

$1.50 ¥9.96

-26.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.08 ¥7.20

-41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.56

$1.28 ¥8.54

-46.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 ¥3.55

$0.62 ¥4.11

-14.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ¥4.17

$0.55 ¥3.64

14.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 ¥25.37

$4.41 ¥29.38

-13.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.82 ¥65.4

$11.94 ¥79.5

-17.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ¥4.49

$0.99 ¥6.61

-32.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 ¥8.79

$1.72 ¥11.45

-23.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.46 ¥3.07

-36.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 ¥59.8

$18.06 ¥120

-50.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ¥10.76

$1.51 ¥10.06

7.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.41 ¥2.75

-34.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 ¥29.07

$7.32 ¥48.73

-40.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.82

$1.36 ¥9.05

-2.94%

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

$19.7K ¥130.9K

$19.7K ¥131.2K

-0.20%

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

$15.1K ¥100.2K

$18.2K ¥121.4K

-17.42%

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

$74.0 ¥493

$64.7 ¥431

14.44%

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

$6.98 ¥46.50

$10.17 ¥67.8

-31.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.02 ¥33.42

$16.54 ¥110

-69.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.78 ¥158

$45.21 ¥301

-47.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.63 ¥57.5

$19.54 ¥130

-55.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 ¥34.15

$7.69 ¥51.2

-33.29%

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

$221 ¥1,470

$534 ¥3,555

-58.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K ¥134.4K

$40.3K ¥268.0K

-49.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.35 ¥229

$55.4 ¥369

-38.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.59 ¥257

$39.17 ¥261

-1.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 ¥471

$72.1 ¥480

-1.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 ¥466

$81.9 ¥545

-14.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 ¥1,694

$751 ¥5,001

-66.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 ¥961

$465 ¥3,093

-68.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 ¥3,963

$1,798 ¥12.0K

-66.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 ¥2,471

$834 ¥5,552

-55.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,484 ¥16.5K

$13.3K ¥88.3K

-81.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,306 ¥8,697

$6,601 ¥44.0K

-80.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$983 ¥6,547

$1,933 ¥12.9K

-49.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

3.36

-6.85%

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

Last update for Jinan: November 10, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: November 8, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jinan

$184 29%

Shenzhen

$252 22.8% 37.3% $68

Accommodation & Living

Jinan

$144 22.8%

Shenzhen

$465 42% 222% $320

Clothing & Footwear

Jinan

$96 15.2%

Shenzhen

$112 10.1% 16.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jinan

$86 13.6%

Shenzhen

$91 8.3% 6.2% $5.4

Eating Out

Jinan

$77 12.1%

Shenzhen

$103 9.3% 33.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Jinan

$34 5.4%

Shenzhen

$61 5.5% 78% $27

Getting Around

Jinan

$13 2.1%

Shenzhen

$23 2.1% 79.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $254 in Jinan versus $751 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 97% higher in Shenzhen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Jinan versus $30 in Shenzhen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $252 – making Jinan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Jinan

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

03:09 3:09 AM

Same time as Jinan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,202,432

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

On the map

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Between locations

Jinan Shenzhen 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Jinan
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

Jinan vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen costs about 74% more than Jinan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $951 per month in Jinan and $1,660 in Shenzhen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jinan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $751 in Shenzhen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Jinan and $30 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 $634 in Jinan and $1,107 in Shenzhen. That makes Jinan about 43% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Jinan, where all-in costs run around $634, than in Shenzhen at $1,107. In Jinan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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