Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Dongying

For one person, living is cheaper in Dongying: $709 a month against $1,096 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
Learn more

Shenzhen Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Dongying
Learn more

Dongying Living Index

Jump to prices

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,096

/mo nomad

Dongying

🇨🇳 China

$709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Dongying

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,096 in Shenzhen versus $709 in Dongying.

Shenzhen $1,096
Dongying $709

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,708 in Shenzhen versus $1,128 in Dongying.

Shenzhen $1,708
Dongying $1,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,320 in Shenzhen versus $1,547 in Dongying.

Shenzhen $2,320
Dongying $1,547

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 55% more expensive than in Dongying, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 19% lower, Dongying 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ¥25.21

$2.73 ¥18.17

38.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.66 ¥204

$21.79 ¥145

40.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥34.27

$4.85 ¥32.26

6.19%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.39

$3.00 ¥19.97

12.00%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.47 ¥3.12

23.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.16

$0.27 ¥1.79

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 ¥9.91

$0.90 ¥5.97

65.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ¥14.37

$2.05 ¥13.63

5.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.79 ¥11.92

-9.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ¥10.38

$1.57 ¥10.44

-0.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.58

$0.96 ¥6.40

18.75%

Eggs

$1.65 ¥11.01

$1.59 ¥10.57

3.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.13 ¥141

$12.89 ¥85.8

63.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.53 ¥23.49

$3.12 ¥20.76

13.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.59 ¥97.2

$10.05 ¥66.9

45.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.60

$1.81 ¥12.05

29.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.78

$1.22 ¥8.09

32.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.00

$1.53 ¥10.22

27.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.14

$1.09 ¥7.27

39.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.25

$0.70 ¥4.68

55.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.89 ¥5.91

44.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$0.55 ¥3.68

12.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.55 ¥3.67

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 ¥30.58

$3.12 ¥20.74

47.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$10.54 ¥70.2

14.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥6.35

$0.75 ¥5.02

26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.24

$1.66 ¥11.06

1.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.29 ¥1.93

48.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.78 ¥118

$16.81 ¥112

5.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ¥10.26

$1.43 ¥9.50

7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.84

$0.36 ¥2.37

19.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.07 ¥47.05

$6.70 ¥44.62

5.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.80

$1.16 ¥7.74

13.79%

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

$19.3K ¥128.8K

$19.7K ¥130.9K

-1.64%

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

$18.4K ¥122.2K

$17.1K ¥114.0K

7.17%

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

$63.3 ¥421

$45.40 ¥302

39.43%

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

$9.87 ¥65.7

$9.92 ¥66.0

-0.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.37 ¥109

$11.93 ¥79.4

37.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.08 ¥320

$41.02 ¥273

17.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.89 ¥112

$13.78 ¥91.7

22.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.63 ¥50.8

$5.79 ¥38.58

31.78%

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

$540 ¥3,595

$333 ¥2,217

62.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.3K ¥268.2K

$16.6K ¥110.3K

143.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 ¥373

$43.38 ¥289

29.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.63 ¥271

$30.64 ¥204

32.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 ¥477

$71.4 ¥475

0.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 ¥543

$70.6 ¥470

15.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 ¥5,088

$275 ¥1,834

177.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ¥3,022

$190 ¥1,266

138.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 ¥11.9K

$583 ¥3,880

207.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$839 ¥5,586

$363 ¥2,420

130.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥89.9K

$2,976 ¥19.8K

353.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,628 ¥44.1K

$2,056 ¥13.7K

222.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,857 ¥12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.89

-13.62%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: November 1, 2026

Last update for Dongying: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$454 41.4%

Dongying

$190 26.8% 58.1% $264

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$252 23%

Dongying

$197 27.8% 21.9% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$112 10.3%

Dongying

$97 13.7% 13.6% $15

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9.3%

Dongying

$84 11.8% 17.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$90 8.2%

Dongying

$67 9.5% 24.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$63 5.8%

Dongying

$53 7.4% 16.9% $11

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Dongying

$21 3% 8.7% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $764 in Shenzhen and $275 in Dongying. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31 in Shenzhen vs $22 in Dongying for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $197 per month, with Dongying cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Dongying

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

2,035,300

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shenzhen Dongying 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Dongying

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 Dongying: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongying is about 35% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,644 in Shenzhen and $1,064 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: $764 in Shenzhen versus $275 in Dongying. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $540 in Shenzhen versus $333 in Dongying. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Shenzhen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $709 in Dongying versus $1,096 in Shenzhen, a $1,000 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 35% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.