Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Handan

For one person, living is cheaper in Handan: $691 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Handan
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Handan Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Handan

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Handan

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

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Shenzhen vs $691 in Handan, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,117
Handan $691

A couple spends around $1,714 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,040 in Handan, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,714
Handan $1,040

A family of three spends $2,310 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,390 in Handan, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,310
Handan $1,390

Shenzhen costs about 62% more than Handan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Handan are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 18% lower, Handan 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$1.83 ¥12.17

100.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$17.67 ¥118

66.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.17

$4.45 ¥29.63

18.65%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.34

$2.68 ¥17.82

25.37%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.42 ¥2.82

38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.23 ¥1.53

56.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$0.71 ¥4.75

108.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$1.48 ¥9.83

44.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.22

$1.52 ¥10.10

1.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$0.73 ¥4.86

123.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$0.73 ¥4.88

56.16%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$0.98 ¥6.49

78.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$11.99 ¥79.8

72.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$2.97 ¥19.78

14.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$11.18 ¥74.4

28.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$1.41 ¥9.39

59.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$0.63 ¥4.17

157.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.44 ¥9.57

34.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.14 ¥7.61

24.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$0.31 ¥2.08

248.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$0.31 ¥2.06

312.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.56 ¥3.75

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.38 ¥2.54

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$3.74 ¥24.86

18.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$10.07 ¥67.0

19.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.70 ¥4.69

31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$1.36 ¥9.05

34.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.31 ¥2.08

41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$18.24 ¥121

-1.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$0.94 ¥6.25

62.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.27 ¥1.81

51.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.98

$4.44 ¥29.53

65.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.32 ¥8.75

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$19.5K ¥130.0K

-1.55%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$14.9K ¥99.0K

21.28%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$73.0 ¥486

-11.24%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$4.58 ¥30.47

116.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$5.09 ¥33.88

222.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$41.16 ¥274

18.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$17.11 ¥114

-0.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$4.40 ¥29.30

65.45%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$213 ¥1,419

151.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$19.9K ¥132.5K

22.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$30.04 ¥200

85.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$42.53 ¥283

-4.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$45.47 ¥303

60.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$69.3 ¥461

35.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,010

$294 ¥1,955

156.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$212 ¥1,413

121.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$660 ¥4,395

179.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,525

$338 ¥2,246

145.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.8K

$2,801 ¥18.6K

370.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$2,092 ¥13.9K

209.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

$651 ¥4,331

170.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

11.67%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Handan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Handan

$212 30.7% 54.9% $258

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Handan

$171 24.7% 31.4% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Handan

$84 12.2% 28.8% $34

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Handan

$69 10% 31.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Handan

$83 12% 9.3% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Handan

$50 7.2% 21.3% $14

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Handan

$22 3.2% 6.8% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Shenzhen versus $294 in Handan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Shenzhen are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Shenzhen versus $18 in Handan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $171 – making Handan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Handan

🕒 Local time

01:40 1:40 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

9,413,990

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shenzhen Handan 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 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 Handan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shenzhen is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,675 per month in Shenzhen and $1,037 in Handan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Handan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $294 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,117 in Shenzhen and $691 in Handan. That’s a gap of about 62%.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Shenzhen and $213 in Handan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Handan, where all-in costs run around $691, than in Shenzhen at $1,117. In Handan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Handan – 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 Handan. 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.