Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Benxi

For one person, living is cheaper in Benxi: $692 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Benxi
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Benxi Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Benxi

🇨🇳 China

$692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Benxi

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 Benxi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Shenzhen vs $692 in Benxi, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,117
Benxi $692

A couple spends around $1,714 per month in Shenzhen vs $991 in Benxi, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,714
Benxi $991

A family of three spends $2,310 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,291 in Benxi, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,310
Benxi $1,291

Shenzhen costs about 61% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Benxi are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 18% lower, Benxi 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$3.04 ¥20.22

20.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$22.33 ¥149

31.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.17

$5.31 ¥35.31

-0.56%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.34

$2.40 ¥16.00

40.00%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.51 ¥3.40

13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.29 ¥1.90

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$0.73 ¥4.85

102.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$1.76 ¥11.71

21.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.22

$1.85 ¥12.30

-16.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$1.22 ¥8.10

33.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$0.84 ¥5.61

35.71%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$1.60 ¥10.67

9.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$10.00 ¥66.5

107.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$2.85 ¥18.95

19.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$8.92 ¥59.4

61.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$1.62 ¥10.76

38.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.38 ¥9.19

17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.62 ¥10.78

19.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.37 ¥9.13

3.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$0.58 ¥3.89

86.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$1.85 ¥12.28

-30.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.61 ¥4.09

-1.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.69 ¥4.58

-18.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$2.97 ¥19.78

49.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$8.24 ¥54.8

46.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.58 ¥3.85

58.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$1.25 ¥8.31

46.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.31 ¥2.09

41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$12.21 ¥81.3

47.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$0.88 ¥5.85

73.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.29 ¥1.92

41.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.98

$2.98 ¥19.85

146.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.13 ¥7.54

16.81%

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$19.8K ¥131.9K

-2.96%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$18.0K ¥119.6K

0.43%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$54.4 ¥362

19.15%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$6.70 ¥44.57

47.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$10.41 ¥69.3

57.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$66.3 ¥441

-26.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$8.31 ¥55.3

103.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$6.03 ¥40.14

20.73%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$449 ¥2,989

19.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$8,894 ¥59.2K

174.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$29.74 ¥198

87.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$32.77 ¥218

23.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$60.2 ¥401

21.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$52.4 ¥349

79.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,010

$137 ¥908

451.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$189 ¥1,260

148.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$258 ¥1,714

617.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,525

$153 ¥1,017

443.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.8K

$3,371 ¥22.4K

291.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$1,941 ¥12.9K

233.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

$447 ¥2,975

294.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

-16.25%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Benxi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Benxi

$189 27.4% 59.8% $281

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Benxi

$179 25.9% 28.1% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Benxi

$79 11.4% 33.5% $40

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Benxi

$79 11.5% 21.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Benxi

$71 10.3% 21.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Benxi

$78 11.3% 23.4% $15

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Benxi

$16 2.3% 32.5% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Shenzhen versus $137 in Benxi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Shenzhen are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Shenzhen versus $22 in Benxi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $179 – making Benxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Benxi

🕒 Local time

04:27 4:27 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

809,655

💱 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

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Between locations

Shenzhen Benxi 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Benxi

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

Shenzhen vs Benxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen costs about 61% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,675 per month in Shenzhen and $1,039 in Benxi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benxi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Shenzhen and $449 in Benxi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Shenzhen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Benxi, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Shenzhen at $1,117. In Benxi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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