Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenyang and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenyang: $708 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Shenyang
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Shenyang Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Shenyang

🇨🇳 China

$708

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $708 in Shenyang versus $1,117 in Shenzhen.

Shenyang $708
Shenzhen $1,117

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,046 in Shenyang versus $1,714 in Shenzhen.

Shenyang $1,046
Shenzhen $1,714

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,384 in Shenyang versus $2,310 in Shenzhen.

Shenyang $1,384
Shenzhen $2,310

Living in Shenyang costs roughly 37% less than in Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenyang 48% lower, Shenzhen 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 ¥19.75

$3.66 ¥24.35

-18.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥149

$29.39 ¥196

-23.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 ¥35.94

$5.28 ¥35.17

2.27%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ¥16.67

$3.36 ¥22.34

-25.60%

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

$0.47 ¥3.11

$0.58 ¥3.84

-18.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.57

$0.36 ¥2.37

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ¥5.73

$1.48 ¥9.82

-41.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.55

$2.14 ¥14.26

-11.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.54 ¥10.22

29.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 ¥15.82

$1.63 ¥10.84

46.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.19

$1.14 ¥7.60

-5.26%

Eggs

$1.07 ¥7.10

$1.75 ¥11.63

-38.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 ¥79.4

$14.42 ¥96.0

-17.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.92

$2.25 ¥14.96

-20.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.76

$1.62 ¥10.79

-27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.77

$1.42 ¥9.47

3.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$0.60 ¥3.97

3.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ¥4.29

$0.56 ¥3.76

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.56

$4.43 ¥29.50

-16.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.70 ¥111

$12.08 ¥80.4

38.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ¥4.54

$0.92 ¥6.15

-26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ¥7.53

$1.83 ¥12.15

-38.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.44 ¥2.90

-34.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.87 ¥99.0

$18.05 ¥120

-17.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 ¥9.16

$1.53 ¥10.15

-9.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.41 ¥2.75

-24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ¥20.34

$7.36 ¥48.98

-58.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.65

$1.32 ¥8.77

-1.52%

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

$19.4K ¥128.9K

$19.2K ¥127.9K

0.76%

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

$17.5K ¥116.1K

$18.0K ¥120.1K

-3.30%

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

$76.2 ¥507

$64.8 ¥431

17.60%

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

$15.50 ¥103

$9.90 ¥65.9

56.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.86 ¥98.9

$16.40 ¥109

-9.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.51 ¥150

$48.95 ¥326

-54.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.68 ¥71.1

$16.95 ¥113

-36.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 ¥39.10

$7.28 ¥48.44

-19.23%

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

$549 ¥3,655

$537 ¥3,572

2.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ¥145.6K

$24.4K ¥162.4K

-10.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.33 ¥282

$55.7 ¥371

-24.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 ¥405

$73.1 ¥486

-16.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.1 ¥467

$93.9 ¥625

-25.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$226 ¥1,501

$753 ¥5,010

-70.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 ¥1,516

$471 ¥3,132

-51.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ¥3,583

$1,847 ¥12.3K

-70.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 ¥2,290

$830 ¥5,525

-58.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,814 ¥12.1K

$13.2K ¥87.8K

-86.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,102 ¥7,333

$6,479 ¥43.1K

-82.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 ¥7,201

$1,763 ¥11.7K

-38.62%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenyang

$228 32.2%

Shenzhen

$471 42.1% 107% $243

Groceries & Markets

Shenyang

$161 * 22.7%

Shenzhen

$249 22.3% 54.9% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenyang

$107 15.1%

Shenzhen

$91 8.2% 14.5% $15

Eating Out

Shenyang

$81 11.5%

Shenzhen

$101 9% 23.7% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Shenyang

$78 * 11%

Shenzhen

$118 10.6% 51.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Shenyang

$34 4.8%

Shenzhen

$64 5.7% 85.4% $29

Getting Around

Shenyang

$19 2.7%

Shenzhen

$23 2.1% 23.3% $4.4

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 $226 in Shenyang and $753 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 63% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $22 in Shenyang vs $29 in Shenzhen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $161 vs $249 per month, with Shenyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenyang

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

Same time as Shenyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,199,601

12,528,300

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Shenyang Shenzhen 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenyang
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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

Shenyang vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenyang wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Shenyang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Shenyang. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $226 in Shenyang versus $753 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Shenyang – a meal for two runs $22 versus $29 in Shenzhen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $708 per month in Shenyang versus $1,117 in Shenzhen – Shenyang is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $708 in Shenyang versus $1,117 in Shenzhen, a $800 budget is realistic in Shenyang but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Shenyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Expats usually find Shenyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.