Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Gongzhuling

For one person, living is cheaper in Gongzhuling: $591 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Gongzhuling
Learn more

Gongzhuling Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Gongzhuling

🇨🇳 China

$591

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Gongzhuling

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

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Shenzhen vs $591 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,138
Gongzhuling $591

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Shenzhen vs $946 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,750
Gongzhuling $946

A family of three spends $2,362 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,300 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,362
Gongzhuling $1,300

Shenzhen costs about 92% more than Gongzhuling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Gongzhuling are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 16% lower, Gongzhuling 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$2.10 ¥14.06

74.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$16.39 ¥110

79.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$4.60 ¥30.75

14.78%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$1.98 ¥13.24

65.15%

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

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.43 ¥2.91

25.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.23 ¥1.54

43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$0.72 ¥4.84

112.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$1.61 ¥10.75

33.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.31 ¥8.74

23.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$2.18 ¥14.60

-25.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$1.08 ¥7.22

0.93%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.03 ¥6.86

66.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$7.44 ¥49.77

187.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$3.66 ¥24.45

-5.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$9.21 ¥61.6

54.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$0.59 ¥3.93

296.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$0.65 ¥4.34

143.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$0.54 ¥3.60

261.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$0.43 ¥2.88

241.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$0.46 ¥3.10

134.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.54 ¥3.59

131.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.43 ¥2.88

37.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.58 ¥3.85

1.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$3.68 ¥24.63

19.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$10.47 ¥70.0

12.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.64 ¥4.27

53.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$1.14 ¥7.60

53.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.31 ¥2.10

103.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$17.64 ¥118

26.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.15 ¥7.67

26.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.35 ¥2.37

11.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$2.63 ¥17.56

166.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.25 ¥8.35

7.20%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$19.1K ¥127.6K

1.82%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$16.4K ¥109.8K

10.57%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$28.49 ¥190

128.50%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$5.81 ¥38.84

76.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$10.41 ¥69.6

55.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$42.01 ¥281

16.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$15.34 ¥103

12.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$5.12 ¥34.25

46.68%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$400 ¥2,673

34.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$11.5K ¥76.7K

111.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$16.10 ¥108

241.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$22.24 ¥149

80.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$59.3 ¥397

22.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$44.86 ¥300

108.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$300 ¥2,009

155.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$184 ¥1,233

163.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$637 ¥4,261

211.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$375 ¥2,505

132.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$3,488 ¥23.3K

294.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$1,926 ¥12.9K

216.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

$341 ¥2,280

408.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.5

-4.29%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gongzhuling: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Gongzhuling

$184 31.2% 62% $301

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Gongzhuling

$160 27.1% 36.2% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Gongzhuling

$64 10.8% 45.4% $53

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Gongzhuling

$64 10.8% 36% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Gongzhuling

$45 7.6% 51.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Gongzhuling

$52 8.8% 18.1% $12

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Gongzhuling

$22 3.7% 22.6% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Shenzhen versus $300 in Gongzhuling. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 409% higher in Shenzhen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Shenzhen versus $16.00 in Gongzhuling. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $160 – making Gongzhuling the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Gongzhuling

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

862,313

💱 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 Gongzhuling 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 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 Gongzhuling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shenzhen is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,706 per month in Shenzhen and $887 in Gongzhuling. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gongzhuling, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $538 per month in Shenzhen and $400 in Gongzhuling. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% more in Shenzhen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gongzhuling, where all-in costs run around $591, than in Shenzhen at $1,138. In Gongzhuling it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gongzhuling – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Gongzhuling. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shenzhen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.