Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Chuzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Chuzhou: $685 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
Learn more

Shenzhen Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Chuzhou
Learn more

Chuzhou Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Chuzhou

🇨🇳 China

$685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Chuzhou

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

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Shenzhen vs $685 in Chuzhou, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,117
Chuzhou $685

A couple spends around $1,714 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,120 in Chuzhou, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,714
Chuzhou $1,120

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

Shenzhen $2,310
Chuzhou $1,555

Shenzhen costs about 63% more than Chuzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Chuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 18% lower, Chuzhou 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$2.28 ¥15.15

60.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$22.28 ¥148

31.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.17

$4.76 ¥31.65

10.92%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.34

$2.30 ¥15.31

46.09%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.53 ¥3.54

9.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.27 ¥1.80

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$0.44 ¥2.90

236.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$1.54 ¥10.23

38.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.22

$1.54 ¥10.28

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$2.07 ¥13.75

-21.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$0.84 ¥5.57

35.71%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$1.32 ¥8.80

32.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$10.57 ¥70.3

96.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$3.03 ¥20.15

12.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$9.07 ¥60.4

58.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$2.09 ¥13.88

7.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.26 ¥8.36

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.71 ¥11.39

13.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.07 ¥7.15

32.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$0.90 ¥5.96

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$0.97 ¥6.47

31.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.89 ¥5.92

-32.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.52 ¥3.46

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$3.83 ¥25.51

15.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$13.28 ¥88.4

-9.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.95 ¥6.31

-3.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$1.55 ¥10.34

18.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.31 ¥2.08

41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$19.20 ¥128

-5.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$1.75 ¥11.66

-12.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.98

$9.09 ¥60.5

-19.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$19.3K ¥128.5K

-0.44%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$17.4K ¥115.5K

4.00%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$55.5 ¥369

16.68%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$7.88 ¥52.4

25.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$7.28 ¥48.43

125.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$43.09 ¥287

13.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$16.05 ¥107

5.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$6.07 ¥40.41

19.93%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$441 ¥2,932

21.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$22.8K ¥151.9K

6.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$43.42 ¥289

28.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$34.55 ¥230

17.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$64.8 ¥431

12.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$87.6 ¥583

7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,010

$253 ¥1,683

197.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$165 ¥1,095

186.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$606 ¥4,032

204.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,525

$376 ¥2,503

120.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.8K

$3,018 ¥20.1K

336.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$1,996 ¥13.3K

224.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.42

-2.05%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chuzhou: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Chuzhou

$165 24% 65% $306

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Chuzhou

$198 28.9% 20.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Chuzhou

$104 15.1% 12.5% $15

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Chuzhou

$69 10% 32% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Chuzhou

$71 10.3% 22.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Chuzhou

$55 8.1% 13% $8.3

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Chuzhou

$24 3.5% 3.8% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Shenzhen versus $253 in Chuzhou. 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 Chuzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $198 – making Chuzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Chuzhou

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

3,987,054

💱 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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Between locations

Shenzhen Chuzhou 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Chuzhou

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 Chuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen costs about 63% more than Chuzhou, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,675 per month in Shenzhen and $1,027 in Chuzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chuzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $253 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Shenzhen and $22 in Chuzhou. 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 $685 in Chuzhou. That’s a gap of about 63%.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Chuzhou, where all-in costs run around $685, than in Shenzhen at $1,117. In Chuzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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