Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Ankang

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankang: $725 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Ankang
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Ankang Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Ankang

🇨🇳 China

$725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Ankang

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

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Shenzhen vs $725 in Ankang, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,138
Ankang $725

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,132 in Ankang, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,750
Ankang $1,132

A family of three spends $2,362 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,540 in Ankang, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,362
Ankang $1,540

Shenzhen costs about 57% more than Ankang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Ankang are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 16% lower, Ankang 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$1.47 ¥9.81

149.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$14.99 ¥100

96.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$2.91 ¥19.46

81.44%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$2.15 ¥14.39

52.09%

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

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.43 ¥2.90

25.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.27 ¥1.79

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$1.50 ¥10.03

2.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$1.48 ¥9.86

45.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.47 ¥9.85

10.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.70 ¥11.37

-4.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$0.90 ¥5.99

21.11%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.49 ¥9.98

14.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$11.41 ¥76.3

87.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$4.12 ¥27.53

-16.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$10.36 ¥69.2

37.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$1.70 ¥11.34

37.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.15 ¥7.67

37.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.24 ¥8.32

57.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.26 ¥8.44

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$0.68 ¥4.52

58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.69 ¥4.61

81.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.58 ¥3.85

1.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.55 ¥3.68

7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$3.31 ¥22.15

33.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$9.89 ¥66.1

18.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.78 ¥5.19

25.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$1.68 ¥11.22

4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.32 ¥2.12

96.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$17.21 ¥115

29.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.25 ¥8.35

16.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.29 ¥1.93

34.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$4.36 ¥29.16

61.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.36 ¥9.08

-1.47%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$19.3K ¥129.3K

0.42%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$17.5K ¥117.0K

3.72%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$89.3 ¥597

-27.13%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$3.26 ¥21.79

214.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$10.61 ¥70.9

52.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$44.85 ¥300

8.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$13.11 ¥87.7

31.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$5.68 ¥37.99

32.22%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$679 ¥4,540

-20.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$17.2K ¥115.2K

40.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$39.44 ¥264

39.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$37.19 ¥249

7.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$74.4 ¥498

-2.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$92.4 ¥618

1.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$299 ¥2,002

156.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$182 ¥1,220

166.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$616 ¥4,117

221.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$386 ¥2,582

125.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$3,279 ¥21.9K

319.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$2,225 ¥14.9K

174.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ankang: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Ankang

$182 25.2% 62.4% $303

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Ankang

$193 26.6% 23.1% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Ankang

$110 15.1% 6.6% $7.8

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Ankang

$60 8.2% 40.3% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Ankang

$103 14.2% 12.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Ankang

$56 7.8% 11.9% $7.6

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Ankang

$21 2.9% 24.9% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Shenzhen versus $299 in Ankang. 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 $29.00 in Shenzhen versus $15.00 in Ankang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $193 – making Ankang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Ankang

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

894,853

💱 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

Shenzhen Ankang 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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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

Shenzhen vs Ankang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shenzhen is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,706 per month in Shenzhen and $1,088 in Ankang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 29% less in Ankang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $538 per month in Shenzhen and $679 in Ankang. 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 Ankang, where all-in costs run around $725, than in Shenzhen at $1,138. In Ankang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ankang – 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 Ankang. 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.