Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Changchun

For one person, living is cheaper in Changchun: $904 a month against $1,131 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Changchun
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Changchun Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,131

/mo nomad

Changchun

🇨🇳 China

$904

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Changchun

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,131 in Shenzhen versus $904 in Changchun.

Shenzhen $1,131
Changchun $904

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,741 in Shenzhen versus $1,324 in Changchun.

Shenzhen $1,741
Changchun $1,324

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,352 in Shenzhen versus $1,743 in Changchun.

Shenzhen $2,352
Changchun $1,743

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 25% more expensive than in Changchun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 17% lower, Changchun 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.93

$3.02 ¥20.22

23.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.92 ¥200

$22.15 ¥148

35.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$5.19 ¥34.68

3.28%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ¥22.66

$2.40 ¥16.02

41.25%

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

$0.55 ¥3.67

$0.47 ¥3.14

17.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.31 ¥2.10

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.84

$1.21 ¥8.12

21.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥14.50

$1.91 ¥12.74

13.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥10.64

$1.90 ¥12.70

-16.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.88

$1.22 ¥8.16

33.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$1.44 ¥9.65

-20.83%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥11.89

$1.81 ¥12.12

-1.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.25 ¥142

$34.55 ¥231

-38.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.10

$5.71 ¥38.15

-39.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 ¥98.2

$10.36 ¥69.3

41.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 ¥14.94

$1.72 ¥11.51

29.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ¥10.73

$1.45 ¥9.71

11.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.67

$1.80 ¥12.05

5.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.41

$1.89 ¥12.66

-25.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.95

$0.89 ¥5.95

16.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.36

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.58 ¥3.89

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.05

$1.47 ¥9.80

-58.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ¥29.30

$3.78 ¥25.28

15.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 ¥78.4

$21.06 ¥141

-44.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.53

$0.92 ¥6.13

6.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.21

$1.10 ¥7.37

66.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.44 ¥2.92

29.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.57 ¥151

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.15

$1.24 ¥8.26

22.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.31 ¥2.09

22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 ¥46.71

$3.02 ¥20.18

131.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.02

$1.28 ¥8.58

5.47%

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

$19.8K ¥132.4K

$19.3K ¥129.3K

2.37%

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

$17.9K ¥119.8K

$17.8K ¥118.9K

0.74%

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

$62.8 ¥420

$76.7 ¥513

-18.14%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$4.43 ¥29.63

131.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.36 ¥109

$14.76 ¥98.7

10.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 ¥331

$37.44 ¥250

32.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.32 ¥116

$4.13 ¥27.59

319.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 ¥51.1

$6.64 ¥44.42

15.06%

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

$526 ¥3,519

$553 ¥3,701

-4.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥164.1K

$21.9K ¥146.1K

12.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ¥369

$73.7 ¥493

-25.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.99 ¥267

$44.44 ¥297

-10.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ¥484

$60.2 ¥402

20.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 ¥620

$69.7 ¥466

32.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 ¥5,158

$216 ¥1,446

256.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 ¥3,195

$246 ¥1,648

93.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ¥13.3K

$576 ¥3,848

244.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥5,696

$308 ¥2,057

176.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥91.2K

$1,668 ¥11.2K

717.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,013 ¥40.2K

$1,006 ¥6,728

497.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,751 ¥11.7K

$961 ¥6,423

82.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

4.37

-23.34%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 20, 2026

Last update for Changchun: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$478 42.3%

Changchun

$246 27.3% 48.4% $231

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.2%

Changchun

$313 * 34.6% 24.4% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.4%

Changchun

$112 12.4% 4.6% $5.4

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$102 9%

Changchun

$82 9% 20% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$89 7.9%

Changchun

$96 10.6% 7.3% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$65 5.7%

Changchun

$51 5.6% 21.7% $14

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Changchun

$4.5 * 0.5% 83.9% $24

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 $771 in Shenzhen and $216 in Changchun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 82% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shenzhen vs $22.00 in Changchun. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $313, with Shenzhen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Changchun

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

9,066,906

💱 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 Changchun 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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 Changchun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changchun is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Shenzhen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $771 in Shenzhen versus $216 in Changchun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $526 in Shenzhen versus $553 in Changchun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Changchun – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $30.00 in Shenzhen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $904 in Changchun versus $1,131 in Shenzhen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changchun but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Changchun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Changchun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.