Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Changzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Changzhou: $741 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Changzhou
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Changzhou Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Changzhou

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Changzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Shenzhen versus $741 in Changzhou.

Shenzhen $1,138
Changzhou $741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Shenzhen versus $1,217 in Changzhou.

Shenzhen $1,750
Changzhou $1,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,362 in Shenzhen versus $1,694 in Changzhou.

Shenzhen $2,362
Changzhou $1,694

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 54% more expensive than in Changzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 16% lower, Changzhou 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$2.92 ¥19.50

25.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$28.54 ¥191

3.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$4.51 ¥30.16

17.07%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$2.22 ¥14.82

47.30%

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

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.38 ¥2.55

42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.23 ¥1.53

43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$0.62 ¥4.15

146.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$1.45 ¥9.69

48.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.86 ¥12.47

-12.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.28 ¥8.59

26.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$1.00 ¥6.65

9.00%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.72 ¥11.53

-0.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$7.41 ¥49.53

188.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$2.82 ¥18.85

22.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$12.35 ¥82.6

15.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$2.16 ¥14.44

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.73 ¥11.58

-8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.97 ¥13.14

-1.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.04 ¥6.96

41.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$0.77 ¥5.13

40.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.99 ¥6.63

26.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.39 ¥2.60

51.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.62 ¥4.18

-4.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$3.29 ¥22.03

34.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$10.58 ¥70.8

10.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.82 ¥5.48

19.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$1.56 ¥10.45

12.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.33 ¥2.20

90.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$14.32 ¥95.8

55.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.51 ¥10.09

-3.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.31 ¥2.08

25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$2.93 ¥19.57

139.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.31 ¥8.74

2.29%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$17.1K ¥114.1K

13.83%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$13.8K ¥92.3K

31.46%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$57.5 ¥385

13.20%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$8.13 ¥54.3

26.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$10.66 ¥71.3

51.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$40.60 ¥271

20.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$14.75 ¥98.6

16.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$4.57 ¥30.53

64.33%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$251 ¥1,681

113.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$15.1K ¥101.0K

60.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$55.3 ¥370

-0.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$22.58 ¥151

77.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$76.0 ¥508

-4.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$76.2 ¥510

22.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$285 ¥1,908

169.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$229 ¥1,529

112.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$917 ¥6,132

116.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$495 ¥3,311

75.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$2,942 ¥19.7K

367.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$1,613 ¥10.8K

277.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

$1,067 ¥7,131

62.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Changzhou

$229 30.9% 52.9% $257

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Changzhou

$192 25.9% 23.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Changzhou

$104 14% 11.8% $14

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Changzhou

$72 9.7% 28% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Changzhou

$76 10.3% 16.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Changzhou

$50 6.7% 22.1% $14

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Changzhou

$19 2.5% 33.7% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Shenzhen and $285 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 63% 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: $29.00 in Shenzhen vs $29.00 in Changzhou. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $192, with Changzhou cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Changzhou

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

5,278,121

💱 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 Changzhou 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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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 Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 63% 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: $768 in Shenzhen versus $285 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Shenzhen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Changzhou – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $29.00 in Shenzhen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $741 in Changzhou versus $1,138 in Shenzhen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou 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 Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.