Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Chenzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Chenzhou: $721 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Chenzhou
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Chenzhou Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Chenzhou

🇨🇳 China

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Chenzhou

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

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Shenzhen vs $721 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,117
Chenzhou $721

A couple spends around $1,714 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,197 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,714
Chenzhou $1,197

A family of three spends $2,310 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,674 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,310
Chenzhou $1,674

Shenzhen costs about 55% more than Chenzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.31

$3.03 ¥20.12

20.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥195

$22.13 ¥147

32.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.12

$4.86 ¥32.28

8.64%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.31

$1.54 ¥10.23

118.18%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.51 ¥3.41

13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.27 ¥1.80

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.81

$1.29 ¥8.56

14.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.24

$1.89 ¥12.57

13.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.21

$1.97 ¥13.07

-21.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.83

$2.38 ¥15.80

-31.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$0.79 ¥5.23

44.30%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.62

$1.72 ¥11.44

1.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$13.15 ¥87.4

57.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.68

$4.13 ¥27.43

-17.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥95.8

$11.57 ¥76.9

24.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.94

$0.59 ¥3.92

281.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.77

$1.18 ¥7.81

37.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.86

$0.73 ¥4.87

165.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.46

$1.19 ¥7.88

19.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.19

$0.97 ¥6.48

11.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.51

$1.54 ¥10.23

-16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.96

$0.61 ¥4.03

-1.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$0.49 ¥3.23

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.46

$3.02 ¥20.05

46.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.3

$12.71 ¥84.5

-4.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$1.04 ¥6.90

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.13

$1.57 ¥10.44

16.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.31 ¥2.05

41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$15.40 ¥102

17.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.14

$1.52 ¥10.08

0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.29 ¥1.92

41.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.90

$4.60 ¥30.55

60.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.76

$1.29 ¥8.57

2.33%

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

$19.2K ¥127.8K

$19.3K ¥128.2K

-0.31%

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

$18.0K ¥119.9K

$17.4K ¥115.5K

3.86%

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

$64.8 ¥430

$56.3 ¥374

15.00%

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

$9.90 ¥65.8

$8.94 ¥59.4

10.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$11.27 ¥74.9

45.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥325

$42.59 ¥283

14.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$14.67 ¥97.5

15.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.37

$6.48 ¥43.06

12.35%

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

$537 ¥3,567

$329 ¥2,185

63.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.2K

$16.9K ¥112.1K

44.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥370

$84.2 ¥560

-33.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$35.01 ¥233

15.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥485

$89.1 ¥592

-17.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥624

$58.9 ¥391

59.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,003

$310 ¥2,058

143.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,127

$163 ¥1,084

188.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$584 ¥3,880

216.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,516

$414 ¥2,749

100.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.6K

$3,531 ¥23.5K

273.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$1,917 ¥12.7K

237.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

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 27, 2026

Last update for Chenzhou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Chenzhou

$163 22.6% 65.3% $307

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Chenzhou

$215 29.8% 13.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Chenzhou

$120 16.7% 1.5% $1.8

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Chenzhou

$71 9.8% 29.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Chenzhou

$77 10.6% 16% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Chenzhou

$56 7.7% 12.5% $8

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Chenzhou

$20 2.7% 16.2% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Shenzhen versus $310 in Chenzhou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Shenzhen versus $22 in Chenzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $215 – making Chenzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Chenzhou

🕒 Local time

11:46 11:46 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

4,667,134

💱 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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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Shenzhen vs Chenzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,117 in Shenzhen, $721 in Chenzhou – Chenzhou 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 $1,081 in Chenzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chenzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $310 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Chenzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Shenzhen and $329 in Chenzhou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Chenzhou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Chenzhou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 35% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.