Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Datong

For one person, living is cheaper in Datong: $709 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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 Datong
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Datong Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Datong

🇨🇳 China

$709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Datong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,117 in Shenzhen versus $709 in Datong.

Shenzhen $1,117
Datong $709

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,714 in Shenzhen versus $1,127 in Datong.

Shenzhen $1,714
Datong $1,127

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,310 in Shenzhen versus $1,545 in Datong.

Shenzhen $2,310
Datong $1,545

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 57% more expensive than in Datong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 18% lower, Datong 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$2.74 ¥18.23

33.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$21.65 ¥144

35.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.17

$4.98 ¥33.15

6.02%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.35

$2.95 ¥19.65

13.90%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.46 ¥3.08

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.27 ¥1.77

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$0.88 ¥5.88

68.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$2.03 ¥13.50

5.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.23

$1.80 ¥11.99

-14.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$1.55 ¥10.28

5.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$0.96 ¥6.36

18.75%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$1.61 ¥10.71

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$13.09 ¥87.1

58.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$3.23 ¥21.48

5.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$10.09 ¥67.1

42.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$1.81 ¥12.01

24.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.20 ¥8.01

35.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.50 ¥9.98

29.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.14 ¥7.57

24.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$0.73 ¥4.87

47.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$0.92 ¥6.12

39.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.56 ¥3.70

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.51 ¥3.42

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$3.10 ¥20.62

42.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$10.40 ¥69.2

16.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.76 ¥5.05

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$1.64 ¥10.91

11.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.27 ¥1.77

62.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$16.53 ¥110

9.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$1.41 ¥9.35

8.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.35 ¥2.35

17.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.98

$6.70 ¥44.58

9.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.17 ¥7.80

12.82%

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

$19.2K ¥128.0K

$19.4K ¥129.2K

-0.94%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$17.2K ¥114.2K

5.18%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$45.68 ¥304

41.79%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$9.63 ¥64.1

2.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$11.68 ¥77.8

40.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$41.21 ¥274

18.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$13.73 ¥91.4

23.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$5.87 ¥39.05

24.02%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$337 ¥2,243

59.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$17.0K ¥113.2K

43.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$43.28 ¥288

28.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$30.52 ¥203

32.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$72.2 ¥480

1.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$72.7 ¥484

29.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,010

$274 ¥1,821

175.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$189 ¥1,257

149.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$594 ¥3,955

210.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,525

$358 ¥2,383

131.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.8K

$3,019 ¥20.1K

336.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$2,019 ¥13.4K

220.87%

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 Datong: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Datong

$189 26.6% 59.9% $282

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Datong

$198 27.9% 20.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Datong

$98 13.9% 16.9% $20

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Datong

$84 11.8% 17% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Datong

$67 9.5% 26.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Datong

$53 7.5% 16.6% $11

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Datong

$21 2.9% 11.2% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Shenzhen and $274 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29 in Shenzhen vs $22 in Datong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $198 per month, with Datong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Datong

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

3,318,057

💱 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 Datong 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Datong

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 Datong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Datong wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Datong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,675 in Shenzhen and $1,064 in Datong to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $753 in Shenzhen versus $274 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $537 in Shenzhen versus $337 in Datong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Shenzhen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $709 in Datong versus $1,117 in Shenzhen, a $800 budget is realistic in Datong but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Datong 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 Datong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.