Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Chifeng

For one person, living is cheaper in Chifeng: $719 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Chifeng
Learn more

Chifeng Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Chifeng

🇨🇳 China

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Chifeng

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

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Shenzhen vs $719 in Chifeng, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,117
Chifeng $719

A couple spends around $1,714 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,137 in Chifeng, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,714
Chifeng $1,137

A family of three spends $2,310 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,555 in Chifeng, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,310
Chifeng $1,555

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$2.73 ¥18.20

34.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$21.77 ¥145

35.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.17

$4.83 ¥32.16

9.32%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.34

$2.96 ¥19.71

13.51%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.43 ¥2.87

34.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.29 ¥1.95

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$0.94 ¥6.29

57.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$2.14 ¥14.23

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.22

$1.78 ¥11.82

-13.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$1.59 ¥10.58

2.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$0.91 ¥6.04

25.27%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$1.61 ¥10.69

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$12.99 ¥86.4

59.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$3.27 ¥21.76

4.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$10.31 ¥68.6

39.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$1.81 ¥12.04

24.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.22 ¥8.09

32.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.48 ¥9.86

31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.15 ¥7.67

23.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$0.74 ¥4.91

45.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$0.90 ¥5.97

42.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.57 ¥3.78

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.51 ¥3.39

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$3.20 ¥21.32

38.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$10.35 ¥68.9

16.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.74 ¥4.92

24.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$1.63 ¥10.87

12.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.29 ¥1.93

51.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$16.79 ¥112

7.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$1.43 ¥9.52

6.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.36 ¥2.37

13.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.98

$6.67 ¥44.37

10.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.13 ¥7.49

16.81%

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

0.05%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$17.0K ¥112.9K

6.40%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$45.63 ¥304

41.95%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$9.91 ¥66.0

-0.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$11.82 ¥78.6

38.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$42.41 ¥282

15.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$14.10 ¥93.8

20.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$5.86 ¥38.98

24.23%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$329 ¥2,192

62.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$17.1K ¥113.5K

43.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$44.42 ¥296

25.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$30.68 ¥204

32.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$73.2 ¥487

-0.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$71.8 ¥478

30.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,010

$275 ¥1,832

173.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$195 ¥1,300

141.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$585 ¥3,894

215.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,525

$360 ¥2,398

130.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.8K

$3,050 ¥20.3K

332.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$2,069 ¥13.8K

213.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.89

-13.88%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chifeng: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Chifeng

$195 27.2% 58.5% $275

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Chifeng

$198 27.6% 20.5% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Chifeng

$99 13.8% 16.4% $19

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Chifeng

$84 11.7% 16.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Chifeng

$67 9.4% 26% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Chifeng

$54 7.5% 14.8% $9.4

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Chifeng

$21 2.9% 9.5% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Shenzhen versus $275 in Chifeng. 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 Chifeng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $198 – making Chifeng the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Chifeng

🕒 Local time

01:40 1:40 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

1,175,391

💱 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 Chifeng 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Chifeng

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 Chifeng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shenzhen is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,675 per month in Shenzhen and $1,078 in Chifeng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chifeng, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $275 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Shenzhen and $22 in Chifeng. 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 $719 in Chifeng. That’s a gap of about 55%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chifeng, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Shenzhen at $1,117. In Chifeng it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Chifeng is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 55% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.