Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Linfen

For one person, living is cheaper in Linfen: $737 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
Learn more

Shenzhen Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Linfen
Learn more

Linfen Living Index

Jump to prices

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Linfen

🇨🇳 China

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Linfen

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

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Shenzhen vs $737 in Linfen, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,117
Linfen $737

A couple spends around $1,714 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,171 in Linfen, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,714
Linfen $1,171

A family of three spends $2,310 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,606 in Linfen, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,310
Linfen $1,606

Shenzhen costs about 52% more than Linfen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Linfen are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 18% lower, Linfen 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.28

$3.09 ¥20.50

18.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥195

$22.67 ¥150

29.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.07

$5.02 ¥33.33

5.18%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.28

$2.75 ¥18.27

22.18%

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

$0.58 ¥3.83

$0.47 ¥3.15

23.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.36

$0.30 ¥1.97

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.79

$1.07 ¥7.13

38.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.22

$2.32 ¥15.38

-7.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.20

$1.80 ¥11.94

-14.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.81

$1.65 ¥10.94

-1.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.58

$1.02 ¥6.75

11.76%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.60

$1.59 ¥10.52

10.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$15.16 ¥101

36.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.65

$3.43 ¥22.76

-0.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥95.7

$9.62 ¥63.8

49.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.92

$1.78 ¥11.81

26.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.76

$1.18 ¥7.81

37.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.85

$1.66 ¥11.03

16.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.44

$1.31 ¥8.71

8.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.18

$0.64 ¥4.25

68.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.50

$0.87 ¥5.81

47.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.96

$0.69 ¥4.58

-13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$0.54 ¥3.62

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.42

$3.37 ¥22.35

31.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.2

$11.23 ¥74.6

7.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.82 ¥5.47

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.12

$1.47 ¥9.76

24.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.89

$0.26 ¥1.72

69.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$15.62 ¥104

15.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.13

$1.28 ¥8.50

19.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.35 ¥2.34

17.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.84

$7.52 ¥49.91

-2.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.75

$1.33 ¥8.82

-0.75%

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

$19.2K ¥127.6K

$17.4K ¥115.2K

10.75%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$15.4K ¥102.0K

17.47%

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

$64.8 ¥430

$55.8 ¥370

16.05%

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

$9.90 ¥65.7

$8.58 ¥56.9

15.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$10.99 ¥73.0

49.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥325

$39.23 ¥260

24.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥112

$16.51 ¥110

2.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.31

$6.59 ¥43.71

10.47%

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

$537 ¥3,563

$425 ¥2,821

26.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.0K

$16.6K ¥110.4K

46.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥370

$43.11 ¥286

29.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥269

$33.08 ¥220

22.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥485

$74.3 ¥493

-1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥623

$74.7 ¥496

25.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥4,996

$298 ¥1,979

152.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,124

$194 ¥1,288

142.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$558 ¥3,704

231.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,510

$375 ¥2,487

121.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.5K

$2,895 ¥19.2K

355.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.0K

$2,130 ¥14.1K

204.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

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 Linfen: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Linfen

$194 26.3% 58.7% $276

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Linfen

$208 28.3% 16.4% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Linfen

$101 13.8% 14.4% $17

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Linfen

$86 11.7% 14.8% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Linfen

$75 10.2% 17.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Linfen

$52 7.1% 17.5% $11

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Linfen

$20 2.7% 15.7% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Shenzhen versus $298 in Linfen. 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 in Shenzhen versus $23 in Linfen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $208 – making Linfen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Linfen

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

617,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shenzhen Linfen 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Linfen

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 Linfen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shenzhen is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,675 per month in Shenzhen and $1,105 in Linfen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Linfen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $298 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,117 in Shenzhen and $737 in Linfen. That makes Linfen about 34% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Linfen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Linfen, where all-in costs run around $737, than in Shenzhen at $1,117. In Linfen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Linfen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 34% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.