Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Huainan

For one person, living is cheaper in Huainan: $708 a month against $1,096 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Huainan
Learn more

Huainan Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,096

/mo nomad

Huainan

🇨🇳 China

$708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Huainan

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

A single person spends $1,096 per month in Shenzhen vs $708 in Huainan, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,096
Huainan $708

A couple spends around $1,708 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,125 in Huainan, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,708
Huainan $1,125

A family of three spends $2,320 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,543 in Huainan, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,320
Huainan $1,543

Shenzhen costs about 55% more than Huainan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Huainan are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 19% lower, Huainan 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ¥25.21

$2.76 ¥18.39

37.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.66 ¥204

$21.64 ¥144

41.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥34.27

$4.82 ¥32.11

6.85%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.39

$2.99 ¥19.91

12.37%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.43 ¥2.89

34.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.16

$0.27 ¥1.79

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 ¥9.91

$0.88 ¥5.83

69.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ¥14.37

$2.14 ¥14.24

0.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.85 ¥12.33

-12.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ¥10.38

$1.56 ¥10.41

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.58

$0.89 ¥5.93

28.09%

Eggs

$1.65 ¥11.01

$1.58 ¥10.55

4.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.13 ¥141

$13.09 ¥87.2

61.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.53 ¥23.49

$3.14 ¥20.90

12.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.59 ¥97.2

$10.01 ¥66.7

45.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.60

$1.79 ¥11.92

30.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.78

$1.26 ¥8.40

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.00

$1.47 ¥9.80

32.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.14

$1.10 ¥7.35

38.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.25

$0.73 ¥4.89

49.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.95 ¥6.33

35.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$0.56 ¥3.75

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.50 ¥3.36

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 ¥30.58

$3.22 ¥21.42

42.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$10.63 ¥70.8

13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥6.35

$0.81 ¥5.38

17.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.24

$1.57 ¥10.47

7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.27 ¥1.78

59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.78 ¥118

$16.80 ¥112

5.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ¥10.26

$1.43 ¥9.52

7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.84

$0.33 ¥2.18

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.07 ¥47.05

$6.57 ¥43.77

7.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.80

$1.12 ¥7.45

17.86%

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

$19.3K ¥128.8K

$19.8K ¥131.5K

-2.08%

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

$18.4K ¥122.2K

$17.5K ¥116.3K

5.05%

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

$63.3 ¥421

$44.36 ¥295

42.70%

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

$9.87 ¥65.7

$9.67 ¥64.4

2.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.37 ¥109

$11.78 ¥78.5

38.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.08 ¥320

$42.23 ¥281

13.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.89 ¥112

$13.96 ¥93.0

20.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.63 ¥50.8

$5.77 ¥38.44

32.24%

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

$540 ¥3,595

$336 ¥2,235

60.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.3K ¥268.2K

$17.0K ¥112.9K

137.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 ¥373

$42.97 ¥286

30.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.63 ¥271

$29.93 ¥199

35.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 ¥477

$70.6 ¥470

1.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 ¥543

$71.1 ¥473

14.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 ¥5,088

$274 ¥1,821

179.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ¥3,022

$189 ¥1,258

140.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 ¥11.9K

$590 ¥3,926

204.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$839 ¥5,586

$359 ¥2,388

133.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥89.9K

$3,016 ¥20.1K

347.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,628 ¥44.1K

$1,993 ¥13.3K

232.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,857 ¥12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.89

-13.62%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: November 1, 2026

Last update for Huainan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$454 41.4%

Huainan

$189 26.7% 58.4% $265

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$252 23%

Huainan

$198 28% 21.6% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$112 10.3%

Huainan

$97 13.6% 14.2% $16

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9.3%

Huainan

$84 11.9% 17.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$90 8.2%

Huainan

$66 9.3% 26.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$63 5.8%

Huainan

$54 7.6% 15.1% $9.5

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Huainan

$21 3% 9.7% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $764 in Shenzhen versus $274 in Huainan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Shenzhen versus $22 in Huainan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $198 – making Huainan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Huainan

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

3,033,528

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shenzhen Huainan 1,160 km ≈ 2 h 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 Huainan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shenzhen is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,644 per month in Shenzhen and $1,062 in Huainan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Huainan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $274 there versus $764 in Shenzhen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Shenzhen and $22 in Huainan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,096 in Shenzhen and $708 in Huainan. That makes Huainan about 35% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Huainan, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Shenzhen at $1,096. In Huainan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Huainan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 35% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.