Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Chengdu

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $726 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
Learn more

Shenzhen Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
Learn more

Chengdu Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Chengdu

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

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Shenzhen vs $726 in Chengdu, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,117
Chengdu $726

A couple spends around $1,714 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,170 in Chengdu, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,714
Chengdu $1,170

A family of three spends $2,310 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,614 in Chengdu, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,310
Chengdu $1,614

Shenzhen costs about 54% more than Chengdu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 18% lower, Chengdu 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.34

$2.92 ¥19.43

25.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$22.28 ¥148

31.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.16

$4.85 ¥32.28

8.87%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.34

$3.00 ¥19.94

12.00%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.51 ¥3.39

13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.26 ¥1.73

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$1.51 ¥10.06

-1.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$2.28 ¥15.20

-6.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.22

$1.85 ¥12.29

-16.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$1.49 ¥9.89

9.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$0.99 ¥6.58

15.15%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$1.61 ¥10.70

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$14.31 ¥95.2

44.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$3.64 ¥24.25

-6.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$11.02 ¥73.3

30.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$1.90 ¥12.62

18.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.39 ¥9.23

16.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.04 ¥6.91

86.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.20 ¥7.97

18.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$0.74 ¥4.91

45.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$0.69 ¥4.56

85.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.64 ¥4.23

-6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$0.58 ¥3.83

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.49

$3.69 ¥24.53

20.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$4.37 ¥29.08

176.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.84 ¥5.58

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$1.48 ¥9.82

23.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.29 ¥1.93

51.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$25.23 ¥168

-28.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$1.33 ¥8.83

15.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.31 ¥2.07

32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.97

$4.37 ¥29.07

68.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.27 ¥8.48

3.94%

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$19.6K ¥130.7K

-2.14%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

-0.01%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$46.65 ¥310

38.84%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$9.40 ¥62.6

5.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$12.87 ¥85.6

27.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$27.11 ¥180

80.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$11.21 ¥74.6

51.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.43

$6.17 ¥41.02

17.99%

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

$537 ¥3,571

$1,161 ¥7,724

-53.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$15.3K ¥101.5K

60.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$25.36 ¥169

119.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$27.52 ¥183

47.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$57.1 ¥380

27.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥624

$53.2 ¥354

76.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,009

$425 ¥2,829

77.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,131

$231 ¥1,540

103.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$755 ¥5,026

144.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,523

$478 ¥3,178

73.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.7K

$3,476 ¥23.1K

279.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$1,845 ¥12.3K

251.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

$1,278 ¥8,502

37.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.38

-0.89%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Chengdu

$231 31.9% 50.8% $239

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Chengdu

$195 26.8% 21.8% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Chengdu

$73 10.1% 38% $45

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Chengdu

$89 12.3% 11.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Chengdu

$69 9.5% 24.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Chengdu

$39 5.4% 37.9% $24

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Chengdu

$29 4% 25.2% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Shenzhen versus $425 in Chengdu. 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 38% 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 in Shenzhen versus $22 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $195 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🕒 Local time

01:08 1:08 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

20,937,757

💱 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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Shenzhen Chengdu 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Shenzhen
Chengdu

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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 Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,117 in Shenzhen, $726 in Chengdu – Chengdu comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,675 per month in Shenzhen and $1,090 in Chengdu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Shenzhen and $22 in Chengdu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,117 in Shenzhen and $726 in Chengdu. That makes Chengdu about 35% cheaper.

If budget matters most, go with Chengdu. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shenzhen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.