Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kharkiv and Shenyang

For one person, living costs are similar in Kharkiv and in Shenyang: $689 and $718 a month, rent and utilities included.

Kharkiv
🇺🇦 Ukraine
$689
/mo nomad
Shenyang
🇨🇳 China
$718
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kharkiv and in Shenyang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kharkiv and in Shenyang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $689 per month in Kharkiv vs $718 in Shenyang, rent included.

  • Kharkiv $689
  • Shenyang $718

A couple spends around $1,063 per month in Kharkiv vs $1,071 in Shenyang, rent included.

  • Kharkiv $1,063
  • Shenyang $1,071

A family of three spends $1,437 per month in Kharkiv vs $1,424 in Shenyang, rent included.

  • Kharkiv $1,437
  • Shenyang $1,424

Kharkiv is about 4% cheaper than Shenyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Kharkiv and Shenyang are more affordable than the global median – Kharkiv 49% lower, Shenyang 47% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kharkiv
Shenyang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.79 ₴305
$3.00 ¥20.07
126.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.48 ₴1,368
$22.24 ¥149
37.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.97 ₴223
$5.08 ¥33.98
-2.17%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ₴74.7
$2.46 ¥16.45
-32.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 ₴47.37
$0.47 ¥3.17
125.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 ₴22.77
$0.38 ¥2.54
34.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.01 ₴45.48
$0.87 ¥5.79
16.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 ₴73.0
$1.82 ¥12.16
-10.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kharkiv
Shenyang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 ₴51.2
$1.89 ¥12.67
-39.68%
White Bread (500g)
$0.70 ₴31.33
$2.46 ¥16.46
-71.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 ₴55.6
$1.08 ¥7.19
14.81%
Eggs
$1.73 ₴77.9
$1.03 ¥6.88
67.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.45 ₴379
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.10 ₴184
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.11 ₴319
$11.99 ¥80.2
-40.70%
Apples (1kg)
$1.41 ₴63.4
$1.78 ¥11.91
-20.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 ₴71.2
$1.19 ¥7.94
33.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.68 ₴75.2
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ₴95.8
$1.53 ¥10.23
39.22%
Potato (1kg)
$0.71 ₴31.74
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$0.52 ₴23.55
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 ₴54.2
$0.61 ¥4.08
98.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 ₴29.10
$0.64 ¥4.27
1.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.73 ₴122
$3.77 ¥25.17
-27.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.56 ₴205
$16.53 ¥111
-72.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 ₴38.07
$0.66 ¥4.40
28.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18 ₴52.8
$1.09 ¥7.27
8.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Kharkiv
Shenyang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.38 ¥2.57
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$12.91 ¥86.3
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.41 ₴63.4
$1.35 ¥9.04
4.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 ₴15.28
$0.31 ¥2.10
9.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.19 ₴98.5
$2.96 ¥19.78
-26.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.76 ₴78.9
$1.29 ¥8.65
36.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.7K ₴1.3M
$19.1K ¥127.7K
55.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K ₴986.7K
$18.3K ¥122.5K
20.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kharkiv
Shenyang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.2 ₴4,273
$75.4 ¥504
26.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.22 ₴279
$15.87 ¥106
-60.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.22 ₴324
$14.87 ¥99.4
-51.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kharkiv
Shenyang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.30 ₴1,001
$22.27 ¥149
0.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.81 ₴620
$10.79 ¥72.1
27.99%
Cinema Ticket
$4.67 ₴210
$6.09 ¥40.75
-23.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kharkiv
Shenyang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$281 ₴12.6K
$539 ¥3,606
-47.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,685 ₴120.5K
$21.3K ¥142.1K
-87.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kharkiv
Shenyang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.6 ₴2,496
$42.49 ¥284
30.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.27 ₴1,897
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.0 ₴4,129
$59.5 ¥398
54.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 ₴4,618
$69.5 ¥465
47.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kharkiv
Shenyang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$239 ₴10.7K
$277 ¥1,850
-13.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$147 ₴6,589
$242 ¥1,619
-39.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$521 ₴23.4K
$558 ¥3,734
-6.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$204 ₴9,136
$393 ¥2,625
-48.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,057 ₴47.4K
$2,272 ¥15.2K
-53.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$583 ₴26.2K
$1,308 ¥8,745
-55.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kharkiv
Shenyang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$525 ₴23.6K
$1,115 ¥7,454
-52.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
17.89
4.37
309.38%

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

Last update for Kharkiv: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shenyang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kharkiv
$163
Shenyang
$160 * 1.6% $2.6
Accommodation & Living
Kharkiv
$147
Shenyang
$242 64.9% $95
Clothing & Footwear
Kharkiv
$132
Shenyang
$77 * 41.4% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kharkiv
$109
Shenyang
$106 2.3% $2.5
Eating Out
Kharkiv
$104
Shenyang
$80 22.8% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Kharkiv
$32
Shenyang
$34 8.9% $2.8
Getting Around
Kharkiv
$3.1 *
Shenyang
$17 457% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $239 in Kharkiv versus $277 in Shenyang. 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 112% higher in Shenyang, 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 $30.00 in Kharkiv versus $22.00 in Shenyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $163 vs $160 – making Shenyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇦 Kharkiv
🇨🇳 Shenyang
🕒 Local time
19:56 7:56 PM
00:56 12:56 AM
5 h ahead of Kharkiv
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,447,652
9,199,601
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to UAH – Ukrainian Hryvnia Converter

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 44.89 UAH (100 UAH = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 50.46 UAH (100 UAH = 1.98 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kharkiv Shenyang 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kharkiv
  • Shenyang

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
Kharkiv vs Shenyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kharkiv or Shenyang?
Shenyang costs about 4% more than Kharkiv, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kharkiv and in Shenyang?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,033 per month in Kharkiv and $1,076 in Shenyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kharkiv or Shenyang?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kharkiv, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Kharkiv and in Shenyang?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Kharkiv and $22.00 in Shenyang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Kharkiv or in Shenyang?
Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Shenyang – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $800/month in Kharkiv or in Shenyang?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $689 in Kharkiv and $718 in Shenyang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kharkiv or Shenyang?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kharkiv costs $689 versus $718 in Shenyang. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Kharkiv or to Shenyang?
If budget matters most, go with Kharkiv. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shenyang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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