Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Maoming

For one person, living is cheaper in Maoming: $705 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Maoming
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Maoming Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Maoming

🇨🇳 China

$705

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Maoming

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

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Shenzhen vs $705 in Maoming, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,117
Maoming $705

A couple spends around $1,714 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,117 in Maoming, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,714
Maoming $1,117

A family of three spends $2,310 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,529 in Maoming, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,310
Maoming $1,529

Shenzhen costs about 58% more than Maoming, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Maoming are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 18% lower, Maoming 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$2.70 ¥17.95

35.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$23.35 ¥155

25.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.16

$4.11 ¥27.32

28.47%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.34

$2.69 ¥17.90

24.91%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.50 ¥3.33

16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.29 ¥1.90

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$1.14 ¥7.60

29.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$2.08 ¥13.85

2.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.22

$1.76 ¥11.72

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$1.82 ¥12.12

-10.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$0.93 ¥6.17

22.58%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$1.65 ¥10.96

6.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$13.47 ¥89.6

53.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$3.41 ¥22.72

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$11.29 ¥75.1

27.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$1.82 ¥12.10

23.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.27 ¥8.46

27.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.47 ¥9.78

31.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.31 ¥8.75

8.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$0.69 ¥4.61

56.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$0.97 ¥6.43

31.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.57 ¥3.81

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$0.55 ¥3.68

1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$3.98 ¥26.49

11.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$11.31 ¥75.2

6.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.85 ¥5.63

8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$1.64 ¥10.94

11.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.29 ¥1.92

51.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$16.63 ¥111

8.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$1.47 ¥9.78

4.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.39 ¥2.59

5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.97

$7.02 ¥46.71

4.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.33 ¥8.83

-0.75%

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$19.6K ¥130.5K

-1.94%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$17.9K ¥119.1K

0.82%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$56.5 ¥376

14.74%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$8.91 ¥59.3

11.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$10.69 ¥71.1

53.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$33.49 ¥223

46.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$15.25 ¥102

11.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$6.22 ¥41.41

17.04%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$417 ¥2,775

28.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$16.0K ¥106.6K

52.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$38.73 ¥258

43.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$33.30 ¥222

21.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$65.0 ¥433

12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$81.2 ¥540

15.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,009

$287 ¥1,912

161.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$175 ¥1,165

168.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$608 ¥4,046

203.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,524

$319 ¥2,124

160.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.7K

$3,627 ¥24.1K

263.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$2,055 ¥13.7K

215.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

$1,051 ¥6,992

67.75%

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 Maoming: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Maoming

$175 24.8% 62.8% $296

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Maoming

$210 29.7% 15.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Maoming

$98 13.9% 17.1% $20

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Maoming

$79 11.2% 21.4% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Maoming

$76 10.8% 16.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Maoming

$46 6.5% 27.7% $18

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Maoming

$21 3% 9.3% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Shenzhen versus $287 in Maoming. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 68% higher in Shenzhen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Shenzhen versus $23 in Maoming. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $210 – making Maoming the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Maoming

🕒 Local time

04:14 4:14 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

1,217,000

💱 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

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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 Maoming: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shenzhen is pricier by about 58%, 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 $1,058 in Maoming. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maoming, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $287 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Shenzhen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Shenzhen and $23 in Maoming. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Maoming, where all-in costs run around $705, than in Shenzhen at $1,117. In Maoming it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maoming – 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 Maoming. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shenzhen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.