Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Chongqing

For one person, living is cheaper in Chongqing: $712 a month against $1,096 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Chongqing
Learn more

Chongqing Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,096

/mo nomad

Chongqing

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Chongqing

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

A single person spends $1,096 per month in Shenzhen vs $712 in Chongqing, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,096
Chongqing $712

A couple spends around $1,708 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,145 in Chongqing, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,708
Chongqing $1,145

A family of three spends $2,320 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,578 in Chongqing, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,320
Chongqing $1,578

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

Both Shenzhen and Chongqing are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 19% lower, Chongqing 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ¥25.21

$2.63 ¥17.54

44.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.66 ¥204

$22.70 ¥151

35.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥34.27

$4.91 ¥32.68

4.89%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.39

$2.03 ¥13.50

65.52%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.47 ¥3.12

23.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.16

$0.29 ¥1.91

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 ¥9.91

$1.22 ¥8.15

22.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ¥14.37

$1.86 ¥12.37

16.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$2.00 ¥13.34

-19.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ¥10.38

$1.67 ¥11.09

-6.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.58

$0.61 ¥4.09

86.89%

Eggs

$1.65 ¥11.01

$2.18 ¥14.54

-24.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.13 ¥141

$17.89 ¥119

18.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.53 ¥23.49

$3.31 ¥22.01

6.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.59 ¥97.2

$10.19 ¥67.9

43.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.60

$1.50 ¥9.98

56.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.78

$1.28 ¥8.55

26.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.00

$1.21 ¥8.08

61.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.14

$1.23 ¥8.17

23.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.25

$0.66 ¥4.42

65.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.96 ¥6.38

34.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$0.88 ¥5.84

-29.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.66 ¥4.37

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 ¥30.58

$3.09 ¥20.56

48.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$8.81 ¥58.6

37.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥6.35

$0.77 ¥5.12

23.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.24

$1.65 ¥11.00

2.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.31 ¥2.08

38.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.78 ¥118

$18.24 ¥121

-2.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ¥10.26

$1.48 ¥9.86

4.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.84

$0.29 ¥1.93

48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.07 ¥47.05

$3.57 ¥23.80

98.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.80

$1.29 ¥8.62

2.33%

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

$19.3K ¥128.8K

$19.5K ¥129.7K

-0.73%

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

$18.4K ¥122.2K

$17.1K ¥114.0K

7.15%

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

$63.3 ¥421

$44.61 ¥297

41.90%

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

$9.87 ¥65.7

$6.97 ¥46.42

41.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.37 ¥109

$7.08 ¥47.11

131.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.08 ¥320

$50.9 ¥339

-5.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.89 ¥112

$10.45 ¥69.6

61.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.63 ¥50.8

$5.85 ¥38.94

30.43%

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

$540 ¥3,595

$287 ¥1,912

87.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.3K ¥268.2K

-0.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 ¥373

$40.16 ¥267

39.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.63 ¥271

$29.88 ¥199

35.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 ¥477

$65.3 ¥435

9.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 ¥543

$65.2 ¥434

25.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 ¥5,088

$379 ¥2,522

101.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ¥3,022

$190 ¥1,264

139.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 ¥11.9K

$771 ¥5,134

132.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$839 ¥5,586

$374 ¥2,493

124.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥89.9K

$2,584 ¥17.2K

422.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,628 ¥44.1K

$1,695 ¥11.3K

291.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,857 ¥12.4K

$1,206 ¥8,030

53.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.34

0.60%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chongqing: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$454 41.4%

Chongqing

$190 26.7% 58.2% $264

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$252 23%

Chongqing

$215 30.2% 14.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$112 10.3%

Chongqing

$90 12.7% 19.8% $22

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9.3%

Chongqing

$73 10.3% 28.1% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$90 8.2%

Chongqing

$59 8.2% 34.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$63 5.8%

Chongqing

$63 8.8% 1.1% $0.7

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Chongqing

$22 3.2% 3.3% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $764 in Shenzhen versus $379 in Chongqing. 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 54% 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 $31 in Shenzhen versus $23 in Chongqing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $215 – making Chongqing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Chongqing

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

1,564,449

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Shenzhen Chongqing 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Chongqing

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 Chongqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shenzhen is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,644 per month in Shenzhen and $1,067 in Chongqing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chongqing, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $379 there versus $764 in Shenzhen.

Kindergarten costs $540 per month in Shenzhen and $287 in Chongqing. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Shenzhen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chongqing, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Shenzhen at $1,096. In Chongqing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chongqing – 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 Chongqing. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shenzhen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.