Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Fuzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuzhou: $762 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Fuzhou
Learn more

Fuzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Fuzhou

🇨🇳 China

$762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Fuzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Shenzhen versus $762 in Fuzhou.

Shenzhen $1,138
Fuzhou $762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Shenzhen versus $1,227 in Fuzhou.

Shenzhen $1,750
Fuzhou $1,227

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,362 in Shenzhen versus $1,692 in Fuzhou.

Shenzhen $2,362
Fuzhou $1,692

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 49% more expensive than in Fuzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 16% lower, Fuzhou 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$3.06 ¥20.47

19.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$23.06 ¥154

27.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$5.08 ¥33.98

3.94%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$2.50 ¥16.74

30.80%

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

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.47 ¥3.12

14.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.27 ¥1.78

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$0.86 ¥5.73

77.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$1.74 ¥11.66

23.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$2.06 ¥13.81

-21.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.41 ¥9.43

14.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$0.93 ¥6.23

17.20%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.55 ¥10.39

10.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$7.65 ¥51.1

179.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$2.18 ¥14.58

58.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$8.97 ¥60.0

58.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$1.80 ¥12.07

30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.32 ¥8.81

19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.68 ¥11.22

16.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.07 ¥7.14

37.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$0.84 ¥5.63

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.01 ¥6.75

23.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.44 ¥2.93

34.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.52 ¥3.49

13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$3.01 ¥20.13

46.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$10.99 ¥73.5

6.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.72 ¥4.81

36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$1.22 ¥8.13

43.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.29 ¥1.93

117.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$23.66 ¥158

-5.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.52 ¥10.14

-4.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.29 ¥1.91

34.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$7.28 ¥48.68

-3.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.25 ¥8.37

7.20%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$19.4K ¥129.7K

0.16%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$15.6K ¥104.1K

16.59%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$43.17 ¥289

50.80%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$8.53 ¥57.1

20.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$8.94 ¥59.8

80.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$42.27 ¥283

15.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$14.76 ¥98.7

16.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$7.38 ¥49.31

1.76%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$209 ¥1,395

157.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$12.1K ¥81.0K

100.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$39.90 ¥267

37.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$29.42 ¥197

36.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$90.5 ¥605

-19.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$86.9 ¥581

7.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$458 ¥3,060

67.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$250 ¥1,672

94.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$1,038 ¥6,939

90.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$514 ¥3,438

69.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$4,514 ¥30.2K

204.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$2,346 ¥15.7K

159.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

$1,006 ¥6,728

72.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.46

-3.18%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Fuzhou: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Fuzhou

$250 32.8% 48.5% $236

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Fuzhou

$175 23% 30.3% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Fuzhou

$111 14.6% 5.4% $6.3

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Fuzhou

$80 10.6% 19.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Fuzhou

$61 8% 33.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Fuzhou

$57 7.5% 10.6% $6.8

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Fuzhou

$28 3.6% 1.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Shenzhen and $458 in Fuzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 72% 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 Fuzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $175 per month, with Fuzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Fuzhou

🕒 Local time

02:28 2:28 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

8,291,268

💱 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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Shenzhen Fuzhou 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Fuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fuzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 72% 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 $458 in Fuzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Fuzhou – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $29.00 in Shenzhen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,138 per month in Shenzhen versus $762 in Fuzhou – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $762 in Fuzhou versus $1,138 in Shenzhen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fuzhou but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Fuzhou 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 Fuzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.