Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jinhua and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinhua: $640 a month against $1,131 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Jinhua
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Jinhua Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

Jump to prices

Jinhua

🇨🇳 China

$640

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $640 in Jinhua versus $1,131 in Shenzhen.

Jinhua $640
Shenzhen $1,131

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,056 in Jinhua versus $1,741 in Shenzhen.

Jinhua $1,056
Shenzhen $1,741

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,471 in Jinhua versus $2,352 in Shenzhen.

Jinhua $1,471
Shenzhen $2,352

Living in Jinhua costs roughly 43% less than in Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jinhua 53% lower, Shenzhen 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ¥30.64

$3.73 ¥24.93

22.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.28 ¥149

$29.92 ¥200

-25.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ¥34.29

$5.36 ¥35.83

-4.29%

Cappuccino

$1.52 ¥10.16

$3.39 ¥22.66

-55.16%

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

$0.46 ¥3.09

$0.55 ¥3.67

-16.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.35 ¥2.36

-17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.44 ¥2.93

$1.47 ¥9.84

-70.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ¥10.04

$2.17 ¥14.50

-30.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$1.59 ¥10.64

-4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 ¥10.15

$1.63 ¥10.88

-6.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$1.14 ¥7.59

-33.33%

Eggs

$1.28 ¥8.59

$1.78 ¥11.89

-28.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.98 ¥114

$21.25 ¥142

-20.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ¥22.02

$3.45 ¥23.10

-4.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.79 ¥58.8

$14.69 ¥98.2

-40.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.15

$2.23 ¥14.94

-18.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.87

$1.61 ¥10.73

-26.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.87

$1.89 ¥12.67

-37.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ¥10.08

$1.41 ¥9.41

7.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.26

$1.04 ¥6.95

-24.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.22

$1.25 ¥8.36

-37.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.14 ¥0.95

$0.56 ¥3.76

-75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.61 ¥4.05

-52.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.66

$4.38 ¥29.30

-15.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 ¥72.3

$11.72 ¥78.4

-7.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ¥3.16

$0.98 ¥6.53

-52.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.11

$1.83 ¥12.21

-17.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.57 ¥3.82

-45.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.84 ¥119

$22.57 ¥151

-20.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$1.52 ¥10.15

-3.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ¥1.40

$0.38 ¥2.55

-44.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.19 ¥61.5

$6.99 ¥46.71

31.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.54

$1.35 ¥9.02

-5.19%

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

$11.7K ¥78.4K

$19.8K ¥132.4K

-40.75%

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

$14.7K ¥98.3K

$17.9K ¥119.8K

-17.90%

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

$22.71 ¥152

$62.8 ¥420

-63.81%

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

$7.99 ¥53.4

$10.25 ¥68.5

-22.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ¥69.8

$16.36 ¥109

-36.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.36 ¥277

$49.52 ¥331

-16.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.72 ¥98.4

$17.32 ¥116

-15.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 ¥29.49

$7.64 ¥51.1

-42.28%

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

$417 ¥2,786

$526 ¥3,519

-20.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.9K

$24.5K ¥164.1K

14.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.53 ¥151

$55.1 ¥369

-59.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.73 ¥252

$39.99 ¥267

-5.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 ¥493

$72.3 ¥484

1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.19 ¥202

$92.7 ¥620

-67.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$258 ¥1,724

$771 ¥5,158

-66.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,195

$478 ¥3,195

-62.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ¥3,189

$1,984 ¥13.3K

-75.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 ¥2,516

$852 ¥5,696

-55.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,429 ¥22.9K

$13.6K ¥91.2K

-74.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,972 ¥13.2K

$6,013 ¥40.2K

-67.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 ¥10.0K

$1,751 ¥11.7K

-14.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

-10.45%

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

Last update for Jinhua: October 18, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jinhua

$196 30.6%

Shenzhen

$251 22.2% 28.5% $56

Accommodation & Living

Jinhua

$179 27.9%

Shenzhen

$478 42.3% 167% $299

Eating Out

Jinhua

$78 12.3%

Shenzhen

$102 9% 29.8% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Jinhua

$74 11.6%

Shenzhen

$117 10.4% 58.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Jinhua

$50 7.8%

Shenzhen

$65 5.7% 29.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jinhua

$41 6.4%

Shenzhen

$89 7.9% 117% $48

Getting Around

Jinhua

$22 3.4%

Shenzhen

$28 2.5% 30.9% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $258 in Jinhua and $771 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $22.00 in Jinhua vs $30.00 in Shenzhen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $251 per month, with Jinhua cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Jinhua

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

13:09 1:09 PM

Same time as Jinhua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,361,572

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

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Jinhua Shenzhen 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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

Jinhua vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jinhua is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Shenzhen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $258 in Jinhua versus $771 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jinhua runs roughly 27% less than in Shenzhen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $417 in Jinhua versus $526 in Shenzhen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $640 in Jinhua versus $1,131 in Shenzhen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jinhua but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Jinhua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Jinhua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.