Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Foshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Foshan: $777 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Foshan
Learn more

Foshan Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Foshan

🇨🇳 China

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Foshan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Shenzhen versus $777 in Foshan.

Shenzhen $1,138
Foshan $777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Shenzhen versus $1,242 in Foshan.

Shenzhen $1,750
Foshan $1,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,362 in Shenzhen versus $1,708 in Foshan.

Shenzhen $2,362
Foshan $1,708

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 46% more expensive than in Foshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 16% lower, Foshan 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$3.78 ¥25.26

-2.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$22.79 ¥152

29.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$5.11 ¥34.19

3.33%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$3.07 ¥20.50

6.51%

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

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.52 ¥3.49

3.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.31 ¥2.09

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$1.22 ¥8.17

25.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$1.89 ¥12.61

13.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.66 ¥11.11

-2.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.12 ¥7.48

44.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$0.92 ¥6.16

18.48%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.70 ¥11.38

0.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$16.68 ¥112

28.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$3.92 ¥26.18

-11.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$10.69 ¥71.5

33.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$3.01 ¥20.16

-22.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.27 ¥8.51

24.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.90 ¥12.69

2.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.63 ¥10.91

-9.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$1.09 ¥7.27

-0.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.95 ¥6.38

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.64 ¥4.26

-7.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.50 ¥3.36

18.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$2.23 ¥14.89

97.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$10.23 ¥68.4

14.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.93 ¥6.24

5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$1.51 ¥10.13

15.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.31 ¥2.08

103.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$10.62 ¥71.0

109.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.52 ¥10.18

-4.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.47 ¥3.15

-17.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$8.81 ¥58.9

-20.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.22 ¥8.19

9.84%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$21.3K ¥142.3K

-8.72%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$16.2K ¥108.3K

12.06%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$84.5 ¥565

-22.98%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$7.92 ¥53.0

29.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$15.69 ¥105

3.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$71.4 ¥477

-31.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$23.83 ¥159

-27.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$5.31 ¥35.50

41.43%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$457 ¥3,054

17.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$23.3K ¥155.8K

4.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$42.21 ¥282

30.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$18.76 ¥125

113.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$62.1 ¥415

16.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$91.8 ¥614

1.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$304 ¥2,031

152.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$159 ¥1,061

206.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$596 ¥3,982

232.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$341 ¥2,279

155.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$4,329 ¥28.9K

217.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$1,864 ¥12.5K

227.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

$802 ¥5,362

116.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.83

-12.53%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Foshan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Foshan

$159 20.4% 67.3% $327

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Foshan

$220 28.4% 12.3% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Foshan

$97 12.4% 17.6% $21

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Foshan

$96 12.3% 4.2% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Foshan

$108 13.9% 18.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Foshan

$82 10.6% 28.5% $18

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Foshan

$16 2% 44.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Shenzhen and $304 in Foshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 116% 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: $29.00 in Shenzhen vs $23.00 in Foshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $220 per month, with Foshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Foshan

🕒 Local time

13:31 1:31 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

9,498,863

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Foshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 116% higher in Shenzhen, 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: $768 in Shenzhen versus $304 in Foshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Foshan runs roughly 110% less than in Shenzhen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $538 in Shenzhen versus $457 in Foshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $777 in Foshan versus $1,138 in Shenzhen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foshan but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Foshan 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 Foshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.