Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanchang and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanchang: $648 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Nanchang
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Nanchang Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Nanchang

🇨🇳 China

$648

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $648 per month in Nanchang vs $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Nanchang $648
Shenzhen $1,138

A couple spends around $1,058 per month in Nanchang vs $1,750 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Nanchang $1,058
Shenzhen $1,750

A family of three spends $1,467 per month in Nanchang vs $2,362 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Nanchang $1,467
Shenzhen $2,362

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

Both Nanchang and Shenzhen are more affordable than the global median – Nanchang 52% lower, Shenzhen 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 ¥15.70

$3.67 ¥24.53

-35.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.21 ¥122

$29.43 ¥197

-38.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 ¥32.18

$5.28 ¥35.28

-8.90%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ¥17.29

$3.27 ¥21.83

-20.80%

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

$0.44 ¥2.92

$0.54 ¥3.63

-18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.33 ¥2.20

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.53 ¥10.23

-14.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.66

$2.15 ¥14.38

-12.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ¥13.70

$1.62 ¥10.85

26.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 ¥16.07

$1.62 ¥10.85

48.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.64

$1.09 ¥7.27

-22.94%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.15

$1.71 ¥11.44

-2.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$21.39 ¥143

-38.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.95 ¥26.44

$3.45 ¥23.08

14.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.77 ¥78.7

$14.25 ¥95.3

-17.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ¥13.29

$2.34 ¥15.64

-14.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.22

$1.58 ¥10.55

-31.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.95 ¥13.03

-2.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.12

$1.47 ¥9.85

23.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$1.08 ¥7.21

-15.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.54

$1.25 ¥8.35

-9.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.59 ¥3.97

3.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.59 ¥3.95

-27.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ¥20.51

$4.41 ¥29.47

-30.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 ¥83.0

$11.73 ¥78.4

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.20

$0.98 ¥6.57

-20.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ¥10.19

$1.75 ¥11.69

-13.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$0.63 ¥4.20

-58.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.93 ¥99.8

$22.28 ¥149

-32.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ¥8.26

$1.45 ¥9.71

-14.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.39 ¥2.60

-20.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 ¥48.75

$7.02 ¥46.93

3.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.34 ¥8.97

-6.72%

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

$19.1K ¥127.7K

$19.4K ¥129.9K

-1.68%

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

$17.9K ¥119.4K

$18.1K ¥121.4K

-1.64%

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

$34.93 ¥234

$65.1 ¥435

-46.34%

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

$9.27 ¥62.0

$10.25 ¥68.5

-9.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.34 ¥89.2

$16.17 ¥108

-17.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.85 ¥287

$48.78 ¥326

-12.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.61 ¥131

$17.24 ¥115

13.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ¥42.91

$7.51 ¥50.2

-14.51%

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

$326 ¥2,176

$538 ¥3,596

-39.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ¥112.2K

$24.3K ¥162.2K

-30.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.86 ¥253

$54.9 ¥367

-31.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.07 ¥148

$40.04 ¥268

-44.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 ¥585

$72.4 ¥484

20.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ¥405

$93.4 ¥624

-35.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 ¥1,493

$768 ¥5,135

-70.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 ¥791

$486 ¥3,248

-75.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 ¥3,014

$1,982 ¥13.3K

-77.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,718

$869 ¥5,813

-70.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,008 ¥13.4K

$13.8K ¥92.0K

-85.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,624 ¥10.9K

$6,098 ¥40.8K

-73.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$745 ¥4,984

$1,736 ¥11.6K

-57.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.35

3.28%

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

Last update for Nanchang: 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

Nanchang

$227 35%

Shenzhen

$251 22.1% 10.7% $24

Accommodation & Living

Nanchang

$118 18.3%

Shenzhen

$486 42.7% 311% $367

Clothing & Footwear

Nanchang

$94 14.5%

Shenzhen

$117 10.3% 25.3% $24

Eating Out

Nanchang

$77 11.9%

Shenzhen

$100 8.8% 28.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanchang

$58 8.9%

Shenzhen

$92 8% 59.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Nanchang

$56 8.6%

Shenzhen

$64 5.6% 14.6% $8.1

Getting Around

Nanchang

$19 2.9%

Shenzhen

$28 2.5% 50.2% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Nanchang 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.

Salaries run about 133% 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 $18.00 in Nanchang versus $29.00 in Shenzhen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $251 – making Nanchang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Nanchang

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

Same time as Nanchang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,042,566

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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Nanchang Shenzhen 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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

Nanchang vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen costs about 75% more than Nanchang, 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 $973 per month in Nanchang 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 Nanchang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $648 in Nanchang and $1,138 in Shenzhen. That's a gap of about 75%.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Nanchang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanchang, where all-in costs run around $648, than in Shenzhen at $1,138. In Nanchang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nanchang – 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 Nanchang. 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.