Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Dalian Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Dalian

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,006 in Shenzhen versus $798 in Dalian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,658 in Shenzhen versus $1,254 in Dalian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,311 in Shenzhen versus $1,711 in Dalian.

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 26% more expensive than Dalian, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 25% lower, Dalian 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.28 ¥22.48

$3.40 ¥23.29

-3.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.26 ¥194

$24.55 ¥168

15.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.14 ¥35.19

$4.97 ¥34.03

3.42%

Cappuccino

$3.22 ¥22.06

$3.13 ¥21.42

2.88%

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

$0.52 ¥3.53

$0.51 ¥3.48

1.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.91

$0.24 ¥1.64

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 ¥8.74

$0.82 ¥5.64

56.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ¥19.21

$1.54 ¥10.55

81.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.98

$1.60 ¥10.94

9.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.38

$1.45 ¥9.93

34.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.50

$0.91 ¥6.24

36.26%

Eggs

$1.87 ¥12.78

$2.01 ¥13.78

-6.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 ¥88.2

$19.42 ¥133

-33.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.97 ¥27.20

$2.69 ¥18.44

47.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ¥94.2

$10.20 ¥69.9

34.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.74

$1.28 ¥8.78

45.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ¥10.03

$1.16 ¥7.91

25.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.97

$1.33 ¥9.09

31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 ¥9.61

$0.71 ¥4.86

97.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.28

$0.67 ¥4.61

58.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.63

$0.72 ¥4.91

95.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.87

$0.60 ¥4.13

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ¥23.54

$3.42 ¥23.46

0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 ¥97.6

$17.45 ¥120

-18.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.38

$0.83 ¥5.70

12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ¥13.24

$1.51 ¥10.36

27.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.99

$0.29 ¥2.01

51.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.51 ¥154

$27.80 ¥190

-19.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ¥11.13

$1.36 ¥9.33

19.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.59

$0.40 ¥2.72

-5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.81 ¥46.63

$4.04 ¥27.69

68.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ¥7.96

$1.15 ¥7.87

0.87%

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

$23.4K ¥160.5K

$17.8K ¥122.2K

31.33%

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

$20.1K ¥137.5K

$16.0K ¥109.7K

25.33%

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

$67.6 ¥463

$43.53 ¥298

55.18%

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

$8.39 ¥57.4

$9.10 ¥62.3

-7.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.11 ¥89.8

$11.45 ¥78.4

14.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.79 ¥341

$36.04 ¥247

38.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.43 ¥119

$23.92 ¥164

-27.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.09 ¥48.56

$6.44 ¥44.10

10.09%

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

$464 ¥3,179

$455 ¥3,118

1.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K ¥142.3K

$9,374 ¥64.2K

121.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.32 ¥338

$56.4 ¥386

-12.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.89 ¥205

$51.6 ¥354

-42.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥511

$107 ¥734

-30.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 ¥546

$95.1 ¥651

-16.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$726 ¥4,974

$352 ¥2,412

106.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 ¥2,806

$207 ¥1,418

97.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 ¥11.5K

$636 ¥4,357

163.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 ¥6,185

$365 ¥2,498

147.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.1K ¥89.5K

$2,664 ¥18.3K

390.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,063 ¥41.5K

$1,650 ¥11.3K

267.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 ¥11.6K

$1,098 ¥7,523

53.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

4.18

-3.35%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Dalian: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $726 in Shenzhen and $352 in Dalian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 54% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $28.00 in Shenzhen vs $25.00 in Dalian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $222 per month, with Dalian cheaper across the board.

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 Dalian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen and Dalian differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,006 vs $798 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shenzhen pays 54% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $726 in Shenzhen versus $352 in Dalian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $464 in Shenzhen versus $455 in Dalian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Shenzhen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $798 in Dalian versus $1,006 in Shenzhen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dalian but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Dalian the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Dalian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.