Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living costs are similar in Shenzhen and in Beijing (Pekin): $1,131 and $1,185 a month, rent and utilities included.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,131

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Beijing (Pekin)

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 Beijing (Pekin) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,131 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Shenzhen $1,131
Beijing (Pekin) $1,185

A couple spends around $1,741 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,917 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Shenzhen $1,741
Beijing (Pekin) $1,917

A family of three spends $2,352 per month in Shenzhen vs $2,648 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Shenzhen $2,352
Beijing (Pekin) $2,648

Shenzhen is about 5% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Shenzhen and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 17% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.93

$4.53 ¥30.31

-17.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.92 ¥200

$30.16 ¥202

-0.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

Cappuccino

$3.39 ¥22.66

$3.57 ¥23.84

-5.04%

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

$0.55 ¥3.67

$0.51 ¥3.39

7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.28 ¥1.89

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.84

$1.19 ¥7.94

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥14.50

$1.71 ¥11.43

26.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥10.64

$1.74 ¥11.66

-8.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.88

$1.77 ¥11.82

-7.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$1.29 ¥8.61

-11.63%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥11.89

$1.95 ¥13.01

-8.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.25 ¥142

$14.29 ¥95.5

48.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.10

$3.31 ¥22.13

4.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 ¥98.2

$11.11 ¥74.3

32.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 ¥14.94

$2.12 ¥14.18

5.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ¥10.73

$1.73 ¥11.56

-6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.67

$2.09 ¥13.98

-9.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.41

$1.54 ¥10.30

-8.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.95

$0.69 ¥4.64

50.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.36

$0.91 ¥6.09

37.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.75 ¥5.04

-25.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.61 ¥4.06

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ¥29.30

$4.27 ¥28.52

2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 ¥78.4

$13.90 ¥93.0

-15.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.53

$1.02 ¥6.80

-3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.21

$1.81 ¥12.09

1.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.69 ¥4.65

-17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.57 ¥151

$34.82 ¥233

-35.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.15

$1.90 ¥12.73

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.35 ¥2.36

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 ¥46.71

$7.28 ¥48.68

-3.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.02

$1.33 ¥8.87

1.50%

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

$19.8K ¥132.4K

$19.6K ¥131.3K

0.85%

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

$17.9K ¥119.8K

$18.0K ¥120.6K

-0.69%

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

$62.8 ¥420

$59.1 ¥395

6.26%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$8.77 ¥58.7

16.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.36 ¥109

$14.22 ¥95.1

15.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 ¥331

$41.06 ¥275

20.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.32 ¥116

$24.89 ¥166

-30.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 ¥51.1

$7.44 ¥49.74

2.69%

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

$526 ¥3,519

$654 ¥4,375

-19.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥164.1K

$24.0K ¥160.5K

2.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ¥369

$71.2 ¥476

-22.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.99 ¥267

$40.02 ¥268

-0.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ¥484

$88.2 ¥590

-18.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 ¥620

$127 ¥846

-26.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 ¥5,158

$945 ¥6,317

-18.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 ¥3,195

$523 ¥3,499

-8.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ¥13.3K

$2,362 ¥15.8K

-16.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥5,696

$1,122 ¥7,500

-24.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥91.2K

$12.3K ¥82.0K

11.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,013 ¥40.2K

$6,446 ¥43.1K

-6.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,751 ¥11.7K

$1,715 ¥11.5K

2.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.12

7.37%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 20, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$478 42.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2% 9.5% $46

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3% 9.1% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4% 25.3% $30

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$102 9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1% 5.7% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$89 7.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 8.2% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$65 5.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7% 13.7% $8.9

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5% 45.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $771 in Shenzhen versus $945 in Beijing (Pekin). 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 2% higher in Shenzhen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shenzhen versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Shenzhen vs $229 in Beijing (Pekin) – so Beijing (Pekin) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

21,893,095 Capital

💱 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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Shenzhen Beijing (Pekin) 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

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Shenzhen
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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 Beijing (Pekin): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,696 per month in Shenzhen and $1,778 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shenzhen and $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,131 in Shenzhen and $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a gap of about 5%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shenzhen, where all-in costs run around $1,131, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Shenzhen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shenzhen – 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 Shenzhen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.