Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Dongguan Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Dongguan

😐 Solo nomad: Shenzhen is 6.5% more expensive than Dongguan without rent, and 34% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Shenzhen is 3.3% more expensive than Dongguan without rent, and 40.5% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Shenzhen
Dongguan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.18 Β₯22.02
$2.41 Β₯16.68
31.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.99 Β₯194
$20.75 Β₯144
34.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.05 Β₯34.98
$4.43 Β₯30.65
14.00%
Cappuccino
$3.33 Β₯23.01
$2.63 Β₯18.18
26.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 Β₯3.39
$0.42 Β₯2.90
16.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 Β₯2.08
$0.27 Β₯1.85
11.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.28 Β₯8.89
$1.18 Β₯8.16
8.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 Β₯19.47
$2.20 Β₯15.23
27.73%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Shenzhen
Dongguan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.81 Β₯12.53
$1.68 Β₯11.65
7.74%
White Bread (500g)
$2.03 Β₯14.04
$1.50 Β₯10.40
35.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 Β₯8.46
$0.93 Β₯6.42
31.18%
Eggs
$1.86 Β₯12.88
$1.77 Β₯12.27
5.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.98 Β₯89.8
$12.91 Β₯89.3
0.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.05 Β₯27.99
$3.88 Β₯26.86
4.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.37 Β₯92.5
$11.44 Β₯79.2
16.87%
Apples (1kg)
$1.82 Β₯12.56
$1.82 Β₯12.59
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 Β₯10.05
$1.40 Β₯9.72
3.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.79 Β₯12.36
$1.81 Β₯12.53
-1.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.35 Β₯9.34
$1.40 Β₯9.68
-3.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.06 Β₯7.33
$0.94 Β₯6.50
12.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.43 Β₯9.86
$1.42 Β₯9.80
0.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.70 Β₯4.81
$0.65 Β₯4.51
7.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 Β₯4.19
$0.59 Β₯4.05
3.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.58 Β₯24.79
$2.71 Β₯18.75
32.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 Β₯92.9
$13.52 Β₯93.6
-0.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 Β₯6.08
$0.89 Β₯6.16
-1.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 Β₯13.23
$1.93 Β₯13.34
-1.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Shenzhen
Dongguan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 Β₯2.79
$0.27 Β₯1.86
48.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.87 Β₯151
$21.13 Β₯146
3.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.64 Β₯11.35
$1.27 Β₯8.79
29.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 Β₯2.41
$0.34 Β₯2.37
2.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.88 Β₯47.63
$5.51 Β₯38.15
24.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 Β₯8.08
$1.12 Β₯7.75
4.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.1K Β₯159.6K
$20.6K Β₯142.6K
11.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.7K Β₯143.4K
$20.6K Β₯142.8K
0.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shenzhen
Dongguan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$65.6 Β₯454
$62.0 Β₯429
5.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.30 Β₯57.4
$8.24 Β₯57.0
0.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.03 Β₯90.2
$12.17 Β₯84.2
7.07%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Shenzhen
Dongguan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.30 Β₯341
$60.7 Β₯420
-18.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.51 Β₯121
$13.45 Β₯93.1
30.19%
Cinema Ticket
$7.07 Β₯48.93
$6.92 Β₯47.88
2.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Shenzhen
Dongguan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$454 Β₯3,143
$462 Β₯3,198
-1.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.5K Β₯141.8K
$20.7K Β₯143.0K
-0.80%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Shenzhen
Dongguan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.31 Β₯334
$29.84 Β₯207
61.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.67 Β₯212
$24.28 Β₯168
26.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.5 Β₯522
$60.8 Β₯421
24.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 Β₯539
$37.97 Β₯263
105.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Shenzhen
Dongguan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$755 Β₯5,227
$351 Β₯2,432
114.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$405 Β₯2,801
$211 Β₯1,457
92.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,662 Β₯11.5K
$680 Β₯4,707
144.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$903 Β₯6,247
$409 Β₯2,833
120.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.5K Β₯93.4K
$6,598 Β₯45.7K
104.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,851 Β₯40.5K
$3,677 Β₯25.4K
59.13%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Shenzhen
Dongguan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,625 Β₯11.2K
$794 Β₯5,496
104.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.04
4.04
-

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

Last update for Shenzhen: March 2, 2026

Last update for Dongguan: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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