Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Jinhua

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinhua: $640 a month against $1,131 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
Learn more

Shenzhen Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Jinhua
Learn more

Jinhua Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,131

/mo nomad

Jinhua

🇨🇳 China

$640

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Jinhua

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,131 in Shenzhen versus $640 in Jinhua.

Shenzhen $1,131
Jinhua $640

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,741 in Shenzhen versus $1,056 in Jinhua.

Shenzhen $1,741
Jinhua $1,056

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,352 in Shenzhen versus $1,471 in Jinhua.

Shenzhen $2,352
Jinhua $1,471

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 77% more expensive than in Jinhua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 17% lower, Jinhua 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.93

$4.58 ¥30.64

-18.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.92 ¥200

$22.28 ¥149

34.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$5.13 ¥34.29

4.48%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ¥22.66

$1.52 ¥10.16

123.03%

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

$0.55 ¥3.67

$0.46 ¥3.09

19.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.29 ¥1.92

20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.84

$0.44 ¥2.93

234.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥14.50

$1.50 ¥10.04

44.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥10.64

$1.52 ¥10.16

4.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.88

$1.52 ¥10.15

7.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$0.76 ¥5.10

50.00%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥11.89

$1.28 ¥8.59

39.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.25 ¥142

$16.98 ¥114

25.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.10

$3.29 ¥22.02

4.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 ¥98.2

$8.79 ¥58.8

67.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 ¥14.94

$1.82 ¥12.15

22.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ¥10.73

$1.18 ¥7.87

36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.67

$1.18 ¥7.87

60.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.41

$1.51 ¥10.08

-6.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.95

$0.79 ¥5.26

31.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.36

$0.78 ¥5.22

60.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.14 ¥0.95

300.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.29 ¥1.92

110.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ¥29.30

$3.69 ¥24.66

18.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 ¥78.4

$10.81 ¥72.3

8.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.53

$0.47 ¥3.16

108.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.21

$1.51 ¥10.11

21.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.31 ¥2.10

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.57 ¥151

$17.84 ¥119

26.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.15

$1.47 ¥9.82

3.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.21 ¥1.40

80.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 ¥46.71

$9.19 ¥61.5

-23.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.02

$1.28 ¥8.54

5.47%

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

$19.8K ¥132.4K

$11.7K ¥78.4K

68.79%

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

$17.9K ¥119.8K

$14.7K ¥98.3K

21.81%

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

$62.8 ¥420

$22.71 ¥152

176.35%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$7.99 ¥53.4

28.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.36 ¥109

$10.43 ¥69.8

56.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 ¥331

$41.36 ¥277

19.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.32 ¥116

$14.72 ¥98.4

17.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 ¥51.1

$4.41 ¥29.49

73.24%

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

$526 ¥3,519

$417 ¥2,786

26.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥164.1K

$28.1K ¥187.9K

-12.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ¥369

$22.53 ¥151

144.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.99 ¥267

$37.73 ¥252

5.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ¥484

$73.8 ¥493

-1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 ¥620

$30.19 ¥202

207.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 ¥5,158

$258 ¥1,724

199.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 ¥3,195

$179 ¥1,195

167.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ¥13.3K

$477 ¥3,189

315.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥5,696

$376 ¥2,516

126.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥91.2K

$3,429 ¥22.9K

297.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,013 ¥40.2K

$1,972 ¥13.2K

204.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,751 ¥11.7K

$1,502 ¥10.0K

16.61%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Jinhua: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$478 42.3%

Jinhua

$179 27.9% 62.6% $299

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.2%

Jinhua

$196 30.6% 22.2% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.4%

Jinhua

$74 11.6% 36.9% $43

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$102 9%

Jinhua

$78 12.3% 23% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$89 7.9%

Jinhua

$41 6.4% 54% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$65 5.7%

Jinhua

$50 7.8% 22.5% $15

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Jinhua

$22 3.4% 23.6% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $771 in Shenzhen and $258 in Jinhua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 17% 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 $22.00 in Jinhua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $196 per month, with Jinhua cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Jinhua

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

5,361,572

💱 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 Jinhua 920 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 Jinhua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jinhua is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% 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 $258 in Jinhua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jinhua runs roughly 27% less than in Shenzhen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $526 in Shenzhen versus $417 in Jinhua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $640 in Jinhua versus $1,131 in Shenzhen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jinhua but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Jinhua 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 Jinhua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.