Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Nanchong

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanchong: $682 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Nanchong
Learn more

Nanchong Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Nanchong

🇨🇳 China

$682

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Nanchong

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

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Shenzhen vs $682 in Nanchong, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,138
Nanchong $682

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,112 in Nanchong, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,750
Nanchong $1,112

A family of three spends $2,362 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,543 in Nanchong, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,362
Nanchong $1,543

Shenzhen costs about 67% more than Nanchong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shenzhen and Nanchong are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 16% lower, Nanchong 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$1.75 ¥11.70

109.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$22.63 ¥151

30.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$3.02 ¥20.17

74.83%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$2.02 ¥13.49

61.88%

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

$0.31 ¥2.09

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$1.22 ¥8.14

25.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$1.75 ¥11.72

22.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.93 ¥12.90

-16.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.60 ¥10.68

1.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$0.63 ¥4.23

73.02%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$2.16 ¥14.41

-20.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$18.25 ¥122

17.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$3.43 ¥22.95

0.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$9.97 ¥66.7

42.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$1.53 ¥10.24

52.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.30 ¥8.67

21.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.25 ¥8.33

56.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.20 ¥8.04

22.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$0.67 ¥4.45

61.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.93 ¥6.23

34.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.84 ¥5.60

-29.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.61 ¥4.09

-3.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$2.96 ¥19.82

48.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$8.74 ¥58.4

34.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.81 ¥5.43

20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$1.69 ¥11.33

3.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.34 ¥2.25

85.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$18.28 ¥122

21.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.52 ¥10.17

-4.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.31 ¥2.10

25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$3.08 ¥20.58

127.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.31 ¥8.77

2.29%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$19.5K ¥130.2K

-0.22%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$16.9K ¥112.7K

7.68%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$44.74 ¥299

45.51%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$7.19 ¥48.08

42.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$6.88 ¥46.01

135.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$41.93 ¥280

16.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$14.50 ¥97.0

18.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$6.16 ¥41.16

21.92%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$292 ¥1,955

83.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$25.5K ¥170.8K

-5.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$39.45 ¥264

39.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$30.06 ¥201

33.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$64.4 ¥431

12.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$63.9 ¥427

46.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$298 ¥1,991

157.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$183 ¥1,222

165.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$624 ¥4,169

217.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$382 ¥2,557

127.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$3,201 ¥21.4K

330.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$1,973 ¥13.2K

209.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.34

0.30%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nanchong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Nanchong

$183 26.8% 62.4% $303

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Nanchong

$214 31.4% 14.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Nanchong

$89 13.1% 24.1% $28

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Nanchong

$60 8.8% 40.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Nanchong

$59 8.6% 35.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Nanchong

$54 8% 15% $9.6

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Nanchong

$23 3.3% 19.4% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Shenzhen versus $298 in Nanchong. 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 Nanchong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $214 – making Nanchong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Nanchong

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

5,607,565

💱 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 Nanchong 1,210 km ≈ 2 h 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 Nanchong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,138 in Shenzhen, $682 in Nanchong – roughly 67% 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 $1,022 in Nanchong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanchong, 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 $292 in Nanchong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% 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 Nanchong, where all-in costs run around $682, than in Shenzhen at $1,138. In Nanchong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nanchong – 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 Nanchong. 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.