Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Jilin

For one person, living is cheaper in Jilin: $722 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
Learn more

Shenzhen Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Jilin
Learn more

Jilin Living Index

Jump to prices

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Jilin

🇨🇳 China

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Jilin

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

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Shenzhen vs $722 in Jilin, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,117
Jilin $722

A couple spends around $1,714 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,195 in Jilin, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,714
Jilin $1,195

A family of three spends $2,310 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,669 in Jilin, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,310
Jilin $1,669

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

Both Shenzhen and Jilin are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 18% lower, Jilin 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$3.05 ¥20.31

20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$22.62 ¥151

29.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.17

$5.17 ¥34.37

2.13%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.34

$3.43 ¥22.83

-2.04%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.44 ¥2.96

31.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.27 ¥1.80

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$1.09 ¥7.24

35.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$2.31 ¥15.39

-7.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.22

$1.75 ¥11.64

-12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$1.61 ¥10.70

1.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$0.99 ¥6.59

15.15%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$1.57 ¥10.46

11.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$15.29 ¥102

35.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$3.12 ¥20.73

9.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$11.08 ¥73.7

30.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$1.88 ¥12.51

19.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.27 ¥8.44

27.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.47 ¥9.79

31.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.29 ¥8.62

10.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$0.66 ¥4.38

63.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$1.02 ¥6.79

25.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.59 ¥3.96

1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.59 ¥3.91

-5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$3.77 ¥25.12

17.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$10.21 ¥68.0

18.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.76 ¥5.07

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$1.60 ¥10.65

14.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.34 ¥2.28

29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$17.48 ¥116

3.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$1.08 ¥7.17

41.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.26 ¥1.73

57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.98

$7.13 ¥47.44

3.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.27 ¥8.43

3.94%

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$19.8K ¥132.1K

-3.11%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$17.6K ¥116.9K

2.76%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$61.3 ¥408

5.71%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$8.26 ¥55.0

19.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$10.67 ¥71.0

53.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$39.37 ¥262

24.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$16.99 ¥113

-0.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$6.41 ¥42.67

13.57%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$440 ¥2,930

21.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$17.7K ¥117.5K

38.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$42.55 ¥283

31.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$32.53 ¥217

24.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$76.4 ¥508

-4.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$76.0 ¥506

23.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,010

$244 ¥1,623

208.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$163 ¥1,085

188.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$584 ¥3,884

216.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,525

$406 ¥2,704

104.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.8K

$3,551 ¥23.6K

271.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$2,139 ¥14.2K

202.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

$441 ¥2,935

299.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.36

-0.30%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Jilin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Jilin

$163 22.6% 65.4% $308

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Jilin

$209 28.9% 16.2% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Jilin

$102 14.2% 13.6% $16

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Jilin

$94 13% 6.8% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Jilin

$80 11.1% 11.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Jilin

$52 7.2% 17.8% $11

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Jilin

$21 2.9% 9.2% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Shenzhen versus $244 in Jilin. 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 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Shenzhen versus $23 in Jilin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $209 – making Jilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Jilin

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

3,623,713

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shenzhen Jilin 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Jilin

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 Jilin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen costs about 55% more than Jilin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,675 per month in Shenzhen and $1,083 in Jilin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jilin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $244 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Shenzhen and $440 in Jilin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% 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 $800 monthly budget goes further in Jilin, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Shenzhen at $1,117. In Jilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jilin – 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 Jilin. 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.