Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenyang and Changzhou

For one person, living costs are similar in Shenyang and in Changzhou: $718 and $741 a month, rent and utilities included.

35

Cost of Living Index in Shenyang
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Shenyang Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Changzhou
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Changzhou Living Index

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Shenyang

🇨🇳 China

$718

/mo nomad

Changzhou

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenyang and in Changzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $718 in Shenyang versus $741 in Changzhou.

Shenyang $718
Changzhou $741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,071 in Shenyang versus $1,217 in Changzhou.

Shenyang $1,071
Changzhou $1,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,424 in Shenyang versus $1,694 in Changzhou.

Shenyang $1,424
Changzhou $1,694

Living in Shenyang costs roughly 3% less than in Changzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenyang 47% lower, Changzhou 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.00 ¥20.07

$2.92 ¥19.50

2.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.24 ¥149

$28.54 ¥191

-22.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 ¥33.98

$4.51 ¥30.16

12.64%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ¥16.45

$2.22 ¥14.82

10.81%

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

$0.47 ¥3.17

$0.38 ¥2.55

23.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$0.23 ¥1.53

65.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ¥5.79

$0.62 ¥4.15

40.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.16

$1.45 ¥9.69

25.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ¥12.67

$1.86 ¥12.47

1.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ¥16.46

$1.28 ¥8.59

92.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.19

$1.00 ¥6.65

8.00%

Eggs

$1.03 ¥6.88

$1.72 ¥11.53

-40.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ¥49.53

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.82 ¥18.85

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 ¥80.2

$12.35 ¥82.6

-2.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.91

$2.16 ¥14.44

-17.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$1.73 ¥11.58

-31.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ¥13.14

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$1.04 ¥6.96

47.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.13

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$0.39 ¥2.60

56.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ¥4.27

$0.62 ¥4.18

3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.17

$3.29 ¥22.03

14.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.53 ¥111

$10.58 ¥70.8

56.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ¥4.40

$0.82 ¥5.48

-19.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$1.56 ¥10.45

-30.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ¥2.57

$0.33 ¥2.20

15.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.91 ¥86.3

$14.32 ¥95.8

-9.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.04

$1.51 ¥10.09

-10.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.31 ¥2.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 ¥19.78

$2.93 ¥19.57

1.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.65

$1.31 ¥8.74

-1.53%

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

$19.1K ¥127.7K

$17.1K ¥114.1K

11.87%

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

$18.3K ¥122.5K

$13.8K ¥92.3K

32.66%

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

$75.4 ¥504

$57.5 ¥385

31.07%

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

$15.87 ¥106

$8.13 ¥54.3

95.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.87 ¥99.4

$10.66 ¥71.3

39.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.27 ¥149

$40.60 ¥271

-45.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.79 ¥72.1

$14.75 ¥98.6

-26.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 ¥40.75

$4.57 ¥30.53

33.26%

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

$539 ¥3,606

$251 ¥1,681

114.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K ¥142.1K

$15.1K ¥101.0K

40.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.49 ¥284

$55.3 ¥370

-23.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.58 ¥151

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.5 ¥398

$76.0 ¥508

-21.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 ¥465

$76.2 ¥510

-8.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ¥1,850

$285 ¥1,908

-3.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,619

$229 ¥1,529

5.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 ¥3,734

$917 ¥6,132

-39.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ¥2,625

$495 ¥3,311

-20.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,272 ¥15.2K

$2,942 ¥19.7K

-22.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,308 ¥8,745

$1,613 ¥10.8K

-18.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 ¥7,454

$1,067 ¥7,131

4.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

3.35

30.45%

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

Last update for Shenyang: October 12, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenyang

$242 33.7%

Changzhou

$229 30.9% 5.6% $13

Groceries & Markets

Shenyang

$160 * 22.3%

Changzhou

$192 25.9% 19.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenyang

$106 14.8%

Changzhou

$76 10.3% 28.1% $30

Eating Out

Shenyang

$80 11.2%

Changzhou

$72 9.7% 10.3% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Shenyang

$77 * 10.8%

Changzhou

$104 14% 34.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Shenyang

$34 4.8%

Changzhou

$50 6.7% 44.3% $15

Getting Around

Shenyang

$17 2.4%

Changzhou

$19 2.5% 7.7% $1.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $277 in Shenyang and $285 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenyang pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Shenyang vs $29.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $192 per month, with Shenyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenyang

🇨🇳 Changzhou

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

Same time as Shenyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,199,601

5,278,121

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Shenyang Changzhou 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shenyang
Changzhou

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

Shenyang vs Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenyang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Shenyang, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $277 in Shenyang versus $285 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Changzhou. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Shenyang – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $29.00 in Changzhou. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Shenyang gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Shenyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Changzhou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.