Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kunshan and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Kunshan: $714 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Kunshan
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Kunshan Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Kunshan

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $714 per month in Kunshan vs $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Kunshan $714
Shenzhen $1,138

A couple spends around $1,137 per month in Kunshan vs $1,750 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Kunshan $1,137
Shenzhen $1,750

A family of three spends $1,560 per month in Kunshan vs $2,362 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Kunshan $1,560
Shenzhen $2,362

Kunshan is about 37% cheaper than Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kunshan and Shenzhen are more affordable than the global median – Kunshan 47% lower, Shenzhen 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 ¥18.46

$3.67 ¥24.53

-24.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.65 ¥145

$29.43 ¥197

-26.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.35

$5.28 ¥35.28

-5.49%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.60

$3.27 ¥21.83

-5.81%

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

$0.46 ¥3.10

$0.54 ¥3.63

-14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.33 ¥2.20

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.18

$1.53 ¥10.23

-39.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.32

$2.15 ¥14.38

-0.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.44

$1.62 ¥10.85

14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.63

$1.62 ¥10.85

-1.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.29

$1.09 ¥7.27

-13.76%

Eggs

$1.59 ¥10.65

$1.71 ¥11.44

-7.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 ¥86.5

$21.39 ¥143

-39.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 ¥21.02

$3.45 ¥23.08

-8.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 ¥68.1

$14.25 ¥95.3

-28.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$2.34 ¥15.64

-22.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.58 ¥10.55

-20.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.99

$1.95 ¥13.03

-23.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.64

$1.47 ¥9.85

-22.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.89

$1.08 ¥7.21

-32.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.50

$1.25 ¥8.35

-22.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.79

$0.59 ¥3.97

-3.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.44

$0.59 ¥3.95

-13.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ¥20.68

$4.41 ¥29.47

-29.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$11.73 ¥78.4

-8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.93

$0.98 ¥6.57

-24.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.00

$1.75 ¥11.69

-5.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.96

$0.63 ¥4.20

-53.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.02 ¥114

$22.28 ¥149

-23.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 ¥9.37

$1.45 ¥9.71

-3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.39 ¥2.60

-15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 ¥43.38

$7.02 ¥46.93

-7.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.58

$1.34 ¥8.97

-15.67%

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

$19.5K ¥130.4K

$19.4K ¥129.9K

0.40%

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

$16.9K ¥113.2K

$18.1K ¥121.4K

-6.73%

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

$45.06 ¥301

$65.1 ¥435

-30.78%

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

$9.74 ¥65.1

$10.25 ¥68.5

-4.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.75 ¥78.5

$16.17 ¥108

-27.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 ¥281

$48.78 ¥326

-13.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.90 ¥92.9

$17.24 ¥115

-19.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 ¥40.04

$7.51 ¥50.2

-20.24%

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

$337 ¥2,252

$538 ¥3,596

-37.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥112.9K

$24.3K ¥162.2K

-30.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.07 ¥288

$54.9 ¥367

-21.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.24 ¥202

$40.04 ¥268

-24.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 ¥473

$72.4 ¥484

-2.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 ¥477

$93.4 ¥624

-23.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ¥1,834

$768 ¥5,135

-64.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ¥1,271

$486 ¥3,248

-60.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 ¥3,948

$1,982 ¥13.3K

-70.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 ¥2,455

$869 ¥5,813

-57.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,017 ¥20.2K

$13.8K ¥92.0K

-78.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,058 ¥13.8K

$6,098 ¥40.8K

-66.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

3.35

16.12%

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

Last update for Kunshan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kunshan

$199 27.9%

Shenzhen

$251 22.1% 26.3% $52

Accommodation & Living

Kunshan

$190 26.7%

Shenzhen

$486 42.7% 156% $296

Clothing & Footwear

Kunshan

$97 13.6%

Shenzhen

$117 10.3% 21.1% $20

Eating Out

Kunshan

$86 12%

Shenzhen

$100 8.8% 16.2% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kunshan

$67 9.3%

Shenzhen

$92 8% 37.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Kunshan

$54 7.6%

Shenzhen

$64 5.6% 18.1% $9.8

Getting Around

Kunshan

$21 3%

Shenzhen

$28 2.5% 32.7% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $274 in Kunshan 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Kunshan versus $29.00 in Shenzhen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $251 – making Kunshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Kunshan

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

Same time as Kunshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,092,496

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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Between locations

Kunshan Shenzhen 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Kunshan
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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

Kunshan vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shenzhen is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,070 per month in Kunshan 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 Kunshan, 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 $22.00 in Kunshan 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 $714 in Kunshan and $1,138 in Shenzhen. That's a gap of about 59%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kunshan, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Shenzhen at $1,138. In Kunshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kunshan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kunshan. 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.