Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Beihai Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Beihai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $999 per month in Shenzhen vs $705 in Beihai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,664 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,118 in Beihai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,329 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,531 in Beihai, rent included.

Shenzhen costs about 42% more than Beihai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Shenzhen and Beihai are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 25% lower, Beihai 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.25 ¥21.98

$2.82 ¥19.10

15.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.48 ¥186

$21.10 ¥143

30.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 ¥32.95

$4.97 ¥33.60

-2.01%

Cappuccino

$3.26 ¥22.09

$2.93 ¥19.80

11.26%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$0.47 ¥3.18

2.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.29 ¥1.99

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.25

$0.95 ¥6.42

28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 ¥19.36

$2.06 ¥13.94

38.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.93

$1.83 ¥12.36

-3.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.20

$1.59 ¥10.76

22.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.32

$0.89 ¥6.02

38.20%

Eggs

$1.85 ¥12.52

$1.64 ¥11.06

12.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 ¥86.5

$12.98 ¥87.8

-1.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.00 ¥27.07

$3.22 ¥21.75

24.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.50 ¥91.3

$10.07 ¥68.1

34.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥12.09

$1.75 ¥11.83

2.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.61

$1.26 ¥8.56

12.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.70

$1.42 ¥9.59

21.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 ¥9.50

$1.13 ¥7.67

23.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.50

$0.73 ¥4.96

52.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 ¥9.48

$0.92 ¥6.24

52.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ¥4.76

$0.59 ¥4.02

18.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.90

$0.51 ¥3.46

13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ¥24.07

$3.15 ¥21.28

13.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ¥84.3

$13.44 ¥90.9

-7.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.09

$0.74 ¥5.03

21.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.38

$1.58 ¥10.72

15.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ¥2.73

$0.27 ¥1.81

48.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.85 ¥148

$16.89 ¥114

29.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 ¥11.58

$1.36 ¥9.21

25.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.35 ¥2.37

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥47.49

$6.67 ¥45.11

5.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.99

$1.18 ¥7.98

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

$23.1K ¥156.2K

$19.0K ¥128.4K

21.69%

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

$20.7K ¥139.7K

$16.7K ¥112.9K

23.75%

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

$67.3 ¥456

$46.25 ¥313

45.58%

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

$8.26 ¥55.9

$9.86 ¥66.7

-16.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.86 ¥87.0

$11.48 ¥77.6

12.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.95 ¥338

$42.01 ¥284

18.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.27 ¥117

$13.79 ¥93.3

25.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.00 ¥47.39

$6.29 ¥42.56

11.29%

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

$460 ¥3,115

$338 ¥2,290

36.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K ¥138.2K

$16.7K ¥113.3K

21.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.14 ¥332

$44.03 ¥298

11.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.64 ¥207

$30.07 ¥203

1.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥510

$70.2 ¥475

7.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥533

$73.2 ¥495

7.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 ¥5,011

$280 ¥1,895

164.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥2,781

$185 ¥1,252

122.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 ¥11.6K

$581 ¥3,932

193.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 ¥6,158

$355 ¥2,402

156.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.5K ¥84.7K

$3,420 ¥23.1K

266.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,184 ¥41.8K

$1,704 ¥11.5K

262.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 ¥11.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

3.87

4.39%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Beihai: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $741 in Shenzhen versus $280 in Beihai. 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 $27.00 in Shenzhen versus $21.00 in Beihai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $203 – making Beihai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Beihai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen costs about 42% more than Beihai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,499 per month in Shenzhen and $1,058 in Beihai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 12% more in Shenzhen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Shenzhen and $21.00 in Beihai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Beihai, where all-in costs run around $705, than in Shenzhen at $999. In Beihai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Beihai – 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 Beihai. 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.