Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Jiaozuo

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiaozuo: $674 a month against $1,131 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
Learn more

Shenzhen Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Jiaozuo
Learn more

Jiaozuo Living Index

Jump to prices

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,131

/mo nomad

Jiaozuo

🇨🇳 China

$674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Jiaozuo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,131 in Shenzhen versus $674 in Jiaozuo.

Shenzhen $1,131
Jiaozuo $674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,741 in Shenzhen versus $1,059 in Jiaozuo.

Shenzhen $1,741
Jiaozuo $1,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,352 in Shenzhen versus $1,445 in Jiaozuo.

Shenzhen $2,352
Jiaozuo $1,445

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 68% more expensive than in Jiaozuo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 17% lower, Jiaozuo 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.93

$1.82 ¥12.16

104.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.92 ¥200

$16.41 ¥110

82.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$4.59 ¥30.70

16.78%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ¥22.66

$2.48 ¥16.57

36.69%

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

$0.55 ¥3.67

$0.42 ¥2.78

30.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.26 ¥1.72

34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.84

$0.85 ¥5.71

72.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥14.50

$1.68 ¥11.22

29.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥10.64

$1.68 ¥11.26

-5.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.88

$1.58 ¥10.60

3.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$0.69 ¥4.60

65.22%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥11.89

$0.96 ¥6.40

85.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.25 ¥142

$8.43 ¥56.4

152.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.10

$2.41 ¥16.11

43.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 ¥98.2

$8.26 ¥55.2

77.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 ¥14.94

$1.18 ¥7.87

88.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ¥10.73

$0.98 ¥6.59

64.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.67

$0.63 ¥4.20

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.41

$0.57 ¥3.83

147.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.95

$0.53 ¥3.55

96.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.36

$0.47 ¥3.14

165.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.40 ¥2.66

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.73 ¥4.86

-16.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ¥29.30

$2.54 ¥17.00

72.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 ¥78.4

$9.79 ¥65.5

19.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.53

$0.68 ¥4.58

44.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.21

$2.02 ¥13.50

-9.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.31 ¥2.08

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.57 ¥151

$17.86 ¥119

26.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.15

$1.53 ¥10.25

-0.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.31 ¥2.10

22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 ¥46.71

$3.66 ¥24.48

90.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.02

$0.98 ¥6.53

37.76%

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

$19.8K ¥132.4K

$19.2K ¥128.3K

3.16%

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

$17.9K ¥119.8K

$17.6K ¥117.4K

2.05%

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

$62.8 ¥420

$60.1 ¥402

4.46%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$7.17 ¥47.97

42.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.36 ¥109

$9.16 ¥61.3

78.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 ¥331

$57.7 ¥386

-14.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.32 ¥116

$15.04 ¥101

15.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 ¥51.1

$3.94 ¥26.37

93.91%

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

$526 ¥3,519

$177 ¥1,182

197.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥164.1K

$21.6K ¥144.2K

13.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ¥369

$43.93 ¥294

25.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.99 ¥267

$34.16 ¥228

17.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ¥484

$73.3 ¥490

-1.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 ¥620

$65.3 ¥437

42.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 ¥5,158

$296 ¥1,982

160.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 ¥3,195

$185 ¥1,238

158.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ¥13.3K

$622 ¥4,158

219.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥5,696

$380 ¥2,541

124.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥91.2K

$2,585 ¥17.3K

427.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,013 ¥40.2K

$1,965 ¥13.1K

206.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,751 ¥11.7K

$566 ¥3,786

209.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.29

1.82%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 20, 2026

Last update for Jiaozuo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$478 42.3%

Jiaozuo

$185 27.5% 61.3% $293

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.2%

Jiaozuo

$158 23.5% 37% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.4%

Jiaozuo

$97 14.5% 16.7% $20

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$102 9%

Jiaozuo

$68 10.2% 32.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$89 7.9%

Jiaozuo

$76 11.3% 14.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$65 5.7%

Jiaozuo

$66 9.7% 1.2% $0.8

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Jiaozuo

$22 3.3% 21.5% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $771 in Shenzhen and $296 in Jiaozuo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 209% 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: $30.00 in Shenzhen vs $16.00 in Jiaozuo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $158 per month, with Jiaozuo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Jiaozuo

🕒 Local time

06:08 6:08 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

3,539,860

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shenzhen Jiaozuo 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Jiaozuo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Jiaozuo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiaozuo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 209% 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: $771 in Shenzhen versus $296 in Jiaozuo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $526 in Shenzhen versus $177 in Jiaozuo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Shenzhen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $674 in Jiaozuo versus $1,131 in Shenzhen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jiaozuo but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Jiaozuo 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 Jiaozuo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.