Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Mianyang, Sichuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan: $645 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Mianyang, Sichuan
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Mianyang, Sichuan Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Mianyang, Sichuan

🇨🇳 China

$645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Mianyang, Sichuan

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

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Shenzhen vs $645 in Mianyang, Sichuan, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,117
Mianyang, Sichuan $645

A couple spends around $1,714 per month in Shenzhen vs $997 in Mianyang, Sichuan, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,714
Mianyang, Sichuan $997

A family of three spends $2,310 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,349 in Mianyang, Sichuan, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,310
Mianyang, Sichuan $1,349

Shenzhen costs about 73% more than Mianyang, Sichuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Mianyang, Sichuan are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 18% lower, Mianyang, Sichuan 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$2.92 ¥19.43

25.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$18.06 ¥120

62.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.16

$4.84 ¥32.21

9.09%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.34

$3.02 ¥20.09

11.26%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.47 ¥3.13

23.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.28 ¥1.87

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$1.54 ¥10.22

-3.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$2.31 ¥15.40

-7.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.22

$1.49 ¥9.89

3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$1.51 ¥10.01

7.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$1.00 ¥6.65

14.00%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$1.62 ¥10.80

8.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$14.17 ¥94.3

46.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$3.68 ¥24.50

-7.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$11.20 ¥74.6

28.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$1.90 ¥12.67

18.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.34 ¥8.89

20.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.05 ¥6.98

84.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.16 ¥7.71

22.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$0.71 ¥4.70

52.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$0.67 ¥4.45

91.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.61 ¥4.07

-1.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$0.54 ¥3.56

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$3.84 ¥25.53

15.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$4.53 ¥30.15

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.82 ¥5.43

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$1.38 ¥9.16

32.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.31 ¥2.09

41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$1.06 ¥7.08

44.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.28 ¥1.87

46.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.97

$4.57 ¥30.39

61.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.26 ¥8.37

4.76%

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$19.8K ¥131.8K

-2.96%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$17.9K ¥119.2K

0.75%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$47.87 ¥319

35.30%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$6.73 ¥44.77

47.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$12.85 ¥85.5

27.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$18.21 ¥121

168.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$5.74 ¥38.17

26.83%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$1,169 ¥7,779

-54.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$14.9K ¥98.9K

64.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$25.08 ¥167

122.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$27.85 ¥185

45.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$56.3 ¥375

29.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$53.4 ¥355

75.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,009

$222 ¥1,480

238.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$191 ¥1,272

146.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$428 ¥2,848

331.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,524

$329 ¥2,191

152.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.7K

$1,989 ¥13.2K

562.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$1,522 ¥10.1K

325.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

$741 ¥4,932

137.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.1

8.06%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mianyang, Sichuan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$191 29.6% 59.4% $279

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$191 29.6% 23.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$73 11.3% 38.2% $45

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$89 13.9% 11.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$67 10.5% 25.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$30 4.6% 53.3% $34

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$3.7 * 0.6% 84% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Shenzhen versus $222 in Mianyang, Sichuan. 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 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Shenzhen versus $18 in Mianyang, Sichuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $191 – making Mianyang, Sichuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Mianyang, Sichuan

🕒 Local time

23:50 11:50 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

4,868,243

💱 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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Between locations

Shenzhen Mianyang, Sichuan 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Mianyang, Sichuan

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 Mianyang, Sichuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,117 in Shenzhen, $645 in Mianyang, Sichuan – Mianyang, Sichuan comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,675 per month in Shenzhen and $968 in Mianyang, Sichuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $222 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,117 in Shenzhen and $645 in Mianyang, Sichuan. That makes Mianyang, Sichuan about 42% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Shenzhen and $1,169 in Mianyang, Sichuan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Mianyang, Sichuan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shenzhen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.