Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quzhou and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Quzhou: $701 a month against $1,131 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Quzhou
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Quzhou Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Quzhou

🇨🇳 China

$701

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $701 per month in Quzhou vs $1,131 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Quzhou $701
Shenzhen $1,131

A couple spends around $1,153 per month in Quzhou vs $1,741 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Quzhou $1,153
Shenzhen $1,741

A family of three spends $1,606 per month in Quzhou vs $2,352 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Quzhou $1,606
Shenzhen $2,352

Quzhou is about 38% cheaper than Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Quzhou and Shenzhen are more affordable than the global median – Quzhou 48% lower, Shenzhen 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.77 ¥18.45

$3.73 ¥24.87

-25.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.42 ¥196

$29.92 ¥200

-1.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.52 ¥30.17

$5.36 ¥35.74

-15.67%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ¥23.67

$3.39 ¥22.60

4.72%

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

$0.47 ¥3.16

$0.55 ¥3.66

-14.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.35 ¥2.36

-17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ¥6.88

$1.47 ¥9.82

-29.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ¥23.04

$2.17 ¥14.47

58.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.58

$1.59 ¥10.62

9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$1.63 ¥10.86

-30.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.66

$1.14 ¥7.57

-38.60%

Eggs

$1.65 ¥10.97

$1.78 ¥11.86

-7.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 ¥101

$21.25 ¥142

-28.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ¥24.44

$3.45 ¥23.04

6.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 ¥60.4

$14.69 ¥98.0

-38.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.83

$2.23 ¥14.91

-54.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.34

$1.61 ¥10.71

-3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.97

$1.89 ¥12.64

-21.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.83

$1.41 ¥9.39

-17.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.17

$1.04 ¥6.93

-39.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.02

$1.25 ¥8.34

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ¥4.65

$0.56 ¥3.75

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.87

$0.61 ¥4.04

-4.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 ¥30.77

$4.38 ¥29.23

5.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.06 ¥53.7

$11.72 ¥78.2

-31.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥5.39

$0.98 ¥6.52

-17.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ¥9.57

$1.83 ¥12.18

-21.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.57 ¥3.81

-45.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.24 ¥122

$22.57 ¥151

-19.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 ¥11.63

$1.52 ¥10.13

14.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.29

$0.38 ¥2.55

-10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.04 ¥46.94

$6.99 ¥46.60

0.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.72

$1.35 ¥9.00

-2.96%

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

$19.5K ¥129.9K

$19.8K ¥132.1K

-1.63%

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

$17.8K ¥118.5K

$17.9K ¥119.5K

-0.80%

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

$51.8 ¥346

$62.8 ¥419

-17.43%

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

$6.59 ¥43.99

$10.25 ¥68.4

-35.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.92 ¥52.8

$16.36 ¥109

-51.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.84 ¥272

$49.52 ¥330

-17.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.02 ¥100

$17.32 ¥116

-13.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ¥51.6

$7.64 ¥50.9

1.31%

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

$415 ¥2,767

$526 ¥3,510

-21.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K ¥106.6K

$24.5K ¥163.7K

-34.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ¥416

$55.1 ¥368

13.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.59 ¥177

$39.99 ¥267

-33.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 ¥411

$72.3 ¥482

-14.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.7 ¥345

$92.7 ¥618

-44.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$302 ¥2,012

$771 ¥5,145

-60.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,196

$478 ¥3,187

-62.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ¥4,125

$1,984 ¥13.2K

-68.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 ¥2,542

$852 ¥5,682

-55.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,522 ¥23.5K

$13.6K ¥91.0K

-74.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,905 ¥12.7K

$6,013 ¥40.1K

-68.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$713 ¥4,759

$1,751 ¥11.7K

-59.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.35

-5.07%

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

Last update for Quzhou: October 17, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Quzhou

$191 27.3%

Shenzhen

$251 22.2% 31.4% $60

Accommodation & Living

Quzhou

$179 25.6%

Shenzhen

$478 42.3% 167% $299

Eating Out

Quzhou

$93 13.3%

Shenzhen

$102 9% 9.1% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Quzhou

$91 13%

Shenzhen

$117 10.4% 28.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quzhou

$66 9.5%

Shenzhen

$89 7.9% 34.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Quzhou

$56 8%

Shenzhen

$65 5.7% 15% $8.5

Getting Around

Quzhou

$23 3.3%

Shenzhen

$28 2.5% 23.3% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $302 in Quzhou versus $771 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 145% 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 $29.00 in Quzhou versus $30.00 in Shenzhen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $251 – making Quzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Quzhou

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

Same time as Quzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,122,661

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

Quzhou Shenzhen 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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

Quzhou vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shenzhen is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,051 per month in Quzhou and $1,696 in Shenzhen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quzhou, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Quzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $415 per month in Quzhou and $526 in Shenzhen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quzhou, where all-in costs run around $701, than in Shenzhen at $1,131. In Quzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quzhou – 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 Quzhou. 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.