Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Dongying Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Dongying

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,036 in Shenzhen versus $704 in Dongying.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,669 in Shenzhen versus $1,142 in Dongying.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,301 in Shenzhen versus $1,581 in Dongying.

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 47% more expensive than Dongying, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 22% lower, Dongying 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.27 ¥22.10

$2.72 ¥18.35

20.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.02 ¥189

$21.63 ¥146

29.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.93 ¥33.31

$4.95 ¥33.43

-0.40%

Cappuccino

$3.20 ¥21.59

$3.10 ¥20.93

3.23%

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

$0.52 ¥3.54

$0.43 ¥2.90

20.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.05

$0.29 ¥1.98

3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.26

$0.93 ¥6.29

31.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ¥19.02

$2.03 ¥13.75

38.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.91

$1.88 ¥12.70

-6.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 ¥13.32

$1.60 ¥10.84

23.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ¥8.05

$0.96 ¥6.48

23.96%

Eggs

$1.90 ¥12.83

$1.61 ¥10.85

18.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 ¥86.6

$12.79 ¥86.4

0.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 ¥26.45

$3.23 ¥21.85

21.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ¥90.6

$10.39 ¥70.2

29.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.19

$1.86 ¥12.56

-2.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 ¥10.01

$1.26 ¥8.51

17.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.28

$1.54 ¥10.40

18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.17

$1.15 ¥7.76

18.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.37

$0.69 ¥4.67

57.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.91

$0.96 ¥6.49

53.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.69

$0.60 ¥4.03

15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.52 ¥3.49

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ¥23.65

$3.09 ¥20.89

13.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 ¥89.6

$10.60 ¥71.6

25.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.07

$0.75 ¥5.05

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥12.98

$1.57 ¥10.62

22.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.91

$0.29 ¥1.96

48.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.77 ¥147

$16.50 ¥111

31.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 ¥11.37

$1.42 ¥9.59

18.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.32

$0.35 ¥2.38

-2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.82

$6.78 ¥45.77

-2.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.92

$1.18 ¥7.97

-0.85%

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

$23.0K ¥155.3K

$19.1K ¥129.0K

20.38%

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

$20.5K ¥138.6K

$17.2K ¥116.0K

19.52%

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

$67.2 ¥454

$45.06 ¥304

49.20%

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

$8.47 ¥57.2

$9.88 ¥66.8

-14.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.80 ¥86.5

$11.51 ¥77.8

11.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.50 ¥334

$42.40 ¥286

16.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.44 ¥118

$13.98 ¥94.5

24.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 ¥45.75

$5.78 ¥39.05

17.13%

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

$454 ¥3,065

$332 ¥2,242

36.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K ¥138.5K

$16.6K ¥112.4K

23.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.82 ¥337

$43.71 ¥295

13.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.68 ¥207

$30.85 ¥208

-0.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ¥514

$71.0 ¥480

7.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 ¥534

$70.9 ¥479

11.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ¥5,041

$283 ¥1,913

163.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 ¥2,762

$190 ¥1,286

114.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 ¥11.5K

$601 ¥4,058

183.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 ¥6,126

$367 ¥2,482

146.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.0K ¥87.8K

$3,072 ¥20.8K

322.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,233 ¥42.1K

$2,004 ¥13.5K

211.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,644 ¥11.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

3.89

3.86%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: June 14, 2026

Last update for Dongying: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $746 in Shenzhen and $283 in Dongying. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28.00 in Shenzhen vs $22.00 in Dongying for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $200 per month, with Dongying 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 Dongying: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongying is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,554 in Shenzhen and $1,056 in Dongying 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: $746 in Shenzhen versus $283 in Dongying. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $454 in Shenzhen versus $332 in Dongying. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Shenzhen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $704 in Dongying versus $1,036 in Shenzhen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongying but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Dongying 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 Dongying gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.