Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Jingmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Jingmen: $741 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Jingmen
Learn more

Jingmen Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Jingmen

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Jingmen

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

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Shenzhen vs $741 in Jingmen, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,138
Jingmen $741

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,215 in Jingmen, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,750
Jingmen $1,215

A family of three spends $2,362 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,689 in Jingmen, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,362
Jingmen $1,689

Shenzhen costs about 54% more than Jingmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shenzhen and Jingmen are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 16% lower, Jingmen 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$3.08 ¥20.58

19.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$22.61 ¥151

30.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$4.11 ¥27.49

28.47%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$2.21 ¥14.76

47.96%

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

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.43 ¥2.90

25.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.29 ¥1.92

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$0.86 ¥5.78

77.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$1.07 ¥7.17

100.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$2.00 ¥13.38

-19.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.79 ¥11.94

-9.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$1.03 ¥6.89

5.83%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.67 ¥11.15

2.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$13.15 ¥87.9

62.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$3.69 ¥24.66

-6.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$13.68 ¥91.4

4.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$2.20 ¥14.73

6.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.20 ¥8.03

31.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.41 ¥9.45

38.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.11 ¥7.40

32.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$0.82 ¥5.51

31.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.77 ¥5.16

62.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.38 ¥2.52

55.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.43 ¥2.89

37.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$6.53 ¥43.65

-32.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$14.67 ¥98.1

-20.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.75 ¥5.00

30.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$2.04 ¥13.61

-14.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.32 ¥2.14

96.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$19.67 ¥132

13.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.47 ¥9.82

-1.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.29 ¥1.91

34.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$4.34 ¥29.03

61.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.07 ¥7.17

25.23%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$19.7K ¥131.5K

-1.25%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$16.8K ¥112.5K

7.89%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$57.6 ¥385

12.98%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$7.52 ¥50.3

36.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$11.70 ¥78.3

38.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$44.91 ¥300

8.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$12.76 ¥85.3

35.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$5.35 ¥35.74

40.37%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$375 ¥2,505

43.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$11.9K ¥79.3K

104.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$54.4 ¥363

1.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$33.37 ¥223

19.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$60.6 ¥405

19.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$113 ¥756

-17.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$277 ¥1,850

177.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$170 ¥1,134

186.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$664 ¥4,438

198.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$396 ¥2,648

119.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$3,203 ¥21.4K

329.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$2,196 ¥14.7K

177.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.31

1.21%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jingmen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Jingmen

$170 22.9% 65.1% $316

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Jingmen

$225 30.3% 10.5% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Jingmen

$118 15.9% 0.3% $0.3

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Jingmen

$73 9.8% 27.1% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Jingmen

$77 10.4% 16% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Jingmen

$56 7.5% 12.8% $8.2

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Jingmen

$24 3.2% 15.4% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Shenzhen versus $277 in Jingmen. 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 $29.00 in Shenzhen versus $23.00 in Jingmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $225 – making Jingmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Jingmen

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

2,873,687

💱 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

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Shenzhen Jingmen 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 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 Jingmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,138 in Shenzhen, $741 in Jingmen – roughly 54% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,706 per month in Shenzhen and $1,112 in Jingmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jingmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $538 per month in Shenzhen and $375 in Jingmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jingmen, where all-in costs run around $741, than in Shenzhen at $1,138. In Jingmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jingmen – 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 Jingmen. 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.