Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Changde

For one person, living is cheaper in Changde: $650 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Changde
Learn more

Changde Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Changde

🇨🇳 China

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Changde

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

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Shenzhen vs $650 in Changde, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,138
Changde $650

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,126 in Changde, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,750
Changde $1,126

A family of three spends $2,362 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,602 in Changde, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,362
Changde $1,602

Shenzhen costs about 75% more than Changde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Changde are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 16% lower, Changde 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$2.20 ¥14.70

66.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$17.66 ¥118

66.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$5.04 ¥33.67

4.76%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$2.37 ¥15.81

37.97%

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

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.44 ¥2.92

22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.25 ¥1.66

32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$1.17 ¥7.85

30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$1.98 ¥13.26

8.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.48 ¥9.89

9.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$2.29 ¥15.30

-29.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$0.87 ¥5.80

25.29%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.73 ¥11.58

-1.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$12.86 ¥86.0

66.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$4.06 ¥27.16

-15.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$11.46 ¥76.6

24.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$1.62 ¥10.82

44.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.22 ¥8.18

29.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.10 ¥7.36

77.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$0.87 ¥5.79

68.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$0.63 ¥4.19

71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.74 ¥4.94

68.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.39 ¥2.60

51.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.52 ¥3.48

13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$3.03 ¥20.28

45.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$12.74 ¥85.2

-7.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$1.03 ¥6.91

-4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$0.73 ¥4.88

139.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.29 ¥1.94

117.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$17.85 ¥119

24.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.18 ¥7.87

22.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.31 ¥2.08

25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$4.36 ¥29.18

61.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.30 ¥8.72

3.08%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$19.1K ¥127.5K

1.90%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$17.9K ¥120.0K

1.13%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$55.6 ¥372

17.15%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$9.17 ¥61.3

11.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$11.23 ¥75.1

43.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$42.44 ¥284

14.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$14.76 ¥98.7

16.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$5.81 ¥38.86

29.26%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$328 ¥2,191

64.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$16.7K ¥111.5K

45.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$84.9 ¥568

-35.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$34.85 ¥233

14.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$89.0 ¥595

-18.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$59.6 ¥398

56.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$132 ¥886

479.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$95.4 ¥638

409.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$617 ¥4,127

221.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$373 ¥2,492

133.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$3,949 ¥26.4K

248.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$1,977 ¥13.2K

208.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

$745 ¥4,980

133.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.46

-3.18%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Changde: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Changde

$95 14.7% 80.4% $390

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Changde

$209 32.1% 16.9% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Changde

$121 18.6% 2.9% $3.4

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Changde

$74 11.3% 26.2% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Changde

$76 11.7% 17% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Changde

$54 8.3% 15.3% $9.7

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Changde

$22 3.3% 22.9% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Shenzhen versus $132 in Changde. 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 133% higher in Shenzhen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Shenzhen versus $18.00 in Changde. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $209 – making Changde the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Changde

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

5,717,200

💱 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 Changde 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Shenzhen
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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 Changde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen costs about 75% more than Changde, 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 $1,706 per month in Shenzhen and $975 in Changde. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Changde, 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 $29.00 in Shenzhen and $18.00 in Changde. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,138 in Shenzhen and $650 in Changde. That's a gap of about 75%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Changde, where all-in costs run around $650, than in Shenzhen at $1,138. In Changde it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Changde – 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 Changde. 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.