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Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Guangzhou (Canton) Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Guangzhou (Canton)

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Shenzhen is 5.5% more expensive than Guangzhou (Canton) without rent, and 17% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Shenzhen is 1.9% more expensive than Guangzhou (Canton) without rent, and 20.4% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Shenzhen
Guangzhou (Canton)
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.27 ยฅ22.80
$2.74 ยฅ19.11
19.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.04 ยฅ196
$22.69 ยฅ158
23.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.07 ยฅ35.40
$4.97 ยฅ34.71
2.01%
Cappuccino
$3.18 ยฅ22.19
$3.05 ยฅ21.26
4.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 ยฅ3.59
$0.46 ยฅ3.20
10.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 ยฅ1.95
$0.32 ยฅ2.25
-12.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.27 ยฅ8.86
$0.95 ยฅ6.66
33.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 ยฅ19.19
$1.72 ยฅ11.99
59.88%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Shenzhen
Guangzhou (Canton)
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.79 ยฅ12.51
$1.89 ยฅ13.22
-5.29%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 ยฅ14.28
$2.08 ยฅ14.52
-1.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.23 ยฅ8.57
$1.24 ยฅ8.65
-0.81%
Eggs
$1.84 ยฅ12.85
$1.56 ยฅ10.91
17.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.95 ยฅ90.4
$18.98 ยฅ132
-31.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.07 ยฅ28.39
$4.65 ยฅ32.45
-12.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.38 ยฅ93.4
$14.06 ยฅ98.2
-4.84%
Apples (1kg)
$1.81 ยฅ12.63
$2.10 ยฅ14.67
-13.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 ยฅ9.87
$1.26 ยฅ8.81
11.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.74 ยฅ12.18
$1.94 ยฅ13.54
-10.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.34 ยฅ9.38
$1.41 ยฅ9.86
-4.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.05 ยฅ7.35
$0.93 ยฅ6.51
12.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.42 ยฅ9.88
$1.05 ยฅ7.34
35.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 ยฅ5.22
$0.56 ยฅ3.94
33.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 ยฅ3.97
$0.61 ยฅ4.26
-6.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.44 ยฅ24.03
$3.89 ยฅ27.12
-11.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.46 ยฅ93.9
$10.05 ยฅ70.2
33.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 ยฅ6.60
$1.00 ยฅ6.95
-5.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 ยฅ12.89
$1.40 ยฅ9.78
32.14%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Shenzhen
Guangzhou (Canton)
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.44 ยฅ3.07
$0.44 ยฅ3.08
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.17 ยฅ155
$24.98 ยฅ174
-11.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.63 ยฅ11.38
$1.69 ยฅ11.77
-3.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 ยฅ2.39
$0.34 ยฅ2.41
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.91 ยฅ48.22
$6.28 ยฅ43.83
10.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 ยฅ8.26
$1.16 ยฅ8.11
1.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.3K ยฅ162.6K
$20.6K ยฅ143.5K
13.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.7K ยฅ144.5K
$19.3K ยฅ134.5K
7.44%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shenzhen
Guangzhou (Canton)
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$67.2 ยฅ469
$61.6 ยฅ430
9.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.23 ยฅ57.5
$12.71 ยฅ88.7
-35.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.94 ยฅ90.3
$11.63 ยฅ81.2
11.26%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Shenzhen
Guangzhou (Canton)
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.27 ยฅ344
$41.45 ยฅ289
18.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.48 ยฅ122
$13.73 ยฅ95.9
27.31%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 ยฅ48.20
$6.32 ยฅ44.12
9.34%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Shenzhen
Guangzhou (Canton)
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$462 ยฅ3,227
$312 ยฅ2,178
48.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.9K ยฅ145.9K
$15.7K ยฅ109.7K
32.98%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Shenzhen
Guangzhou (Canton)
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.87 ยฅ341
$41.77 ยฅ292
17.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.17 ยฅ211
$28.10 ยฅ196
7.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ยฅ538
$69.0 ยฅ482
11.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.5 ยฅ562
$61.4 ยฅ429
31.04%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Shenzhen
Guangzhou (Canton)
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$742 ยฅ5,179
$482 ยฅ3,363
53.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$406 ยฅ2,835
$270 ยฅ1,887
50.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,654 ยฅ11.5K
$1,159 ยฅ8,089
42.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$901 ยฅ6,292
$627 ยฅ4,379
43.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.5K ยฅ93.9K
$8,979 ยฅ62.7K
49.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,966 ยฅ41.6K
$3,425 ยฅ23.9K
74.18%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Shenzhen
Guangzhou (Canton)
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 ยฅ11.1K
$1,427 ยฅ9,959
11.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.04
4.08
-0.98%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Shenzhen: January 13, 2026

Last update for Guangzhou (Canton): January 11, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
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