Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Nanjing Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Nanjing

😐 Solo nomad: Shenzhen is 14.7% more expensive than Nanjing without rent, and 21.9% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Shenzhen is 13.6% more expensive than Nanjing without rent, and 30.1% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Shenzhen
Nanjing
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.18 ¥21.99
$2.80 ¥19.38
13.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.99 ¥193
$22.07 ¥153
26.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.05 ¥34.93
$4.77 ¥32.98
5.87%
Cappuccino
$3.33 ¥22.98
$3.15 ¥21.76
5.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ¥3.38
$0.42 ¥2.87
16.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ¥2.07
$0.24 ¥1.65
25.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.28 ¥8.87
$0.81 ¥5.59
58.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 ¥19.45
$2.07 ¥14.28
35.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Shenzhen
Nanjing
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.81 ¥12.51
$2.21 ¥15.31
-18.10%
White Bread (500g)
$2.03 ¥14.02
$2.20 ¥15.21
-7.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 ¥8.44
$0.83 ¥5.70
46.99%
Eggs
$1.86 ¥12.86
$1.47 ¥10.15
26.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.98 ¥89.7
$9.00 ¥62.2
44.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.05 ¥27.95
$2.85 ¥19.67
42.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.37 ¥92.4
$9.02 ¥62.3
48.23%
Apples (1kg)
$1.82 ¥12.54
$2.13 ¥14.73
-14.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 ¥10.04
$1.43 ¥9.88
1.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.79 ¥12.34
$1.61 ¥11.10
11.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.35 ¥9.32
$1.19 ¥8.25
13.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.06 ¥7.32
$0.94 ¥6.47
12.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.43 ¥9.85
$0.93 ¥6.42
53.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.70 ¥4.81
$0.81 ¥5.60
-13.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 ¥4.18
$0.56 ¥3.89
8.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.58 ¥24.75
$3.57 ¥24.67
0.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ¥92.7
$14.26 ¥98.6
-5.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 ¥6.07
$0.91 ¥6.29
-3.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 ¥13.21
$1.50 ¥10.37
27.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Shenzhen
Nanjing
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ¥2.79
$0.27 ¥1.86
48.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.87 ¥151
$27.72 ¥192
-21.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.64 ¥11.34
$1.49 ¥10.32
10.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 ¥2.41
$0.36 ¥2.48
-2.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.88 ¥47.56
$8.50 ¥58.7
-19.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 ¥8.07
$1.12 ¥7.74
4.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.1K ¥159.3K
$16.9K ¥117.0K
36.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.7K ¥143.2K
$14.5K ¥100.1K
43.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shenzhen
Nanjing
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$65.6 ¥453
$43.33 ¥299
51.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.30 ¥57.3
$10.79 ¥74.6
-23.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.03 ¥90.0
$11.28 ¥77.9
15.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Shenzhen
Nanjing
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.30 ¥341
$26.51 ¥183
85.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.51 ¥121
$29.39 ¥203
-40.42%
Cinema Ticket
$7.07 ¥48.86
$5.59 ¥38.65
26.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Shenzhen
Nanjing
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$454 ¥3,138
$403 ¥2,785
12.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.5K ¥141.6K
$18.4K ¥126.9K
11.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Shenzhen
Nanjing
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.31 ¥334
$42.30 ¥292
14.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.67 ¥212
$32.88 ¥227
-6.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.5 ¥522
$67.6 ¥467
11.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 ¥538
$82.1 ¥567
-5.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Shenzhen
Nanjing
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$755 ¥5,220
$433 ¥2,994
74.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$405 ¥2,796
$298 ¥2,058
35.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,662 ¥11.5K
$893 ¥6,173
86.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$903 ¥6,238
$541 ¥3,738
66.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.5K ¥93.3K
$5,597 ¥38.7K
141.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,851 ¥40.4K
$3,138 ¥21.7K
86.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Shenzhen
Nanjing
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,625 ¥11.2K
$1,256 ¥8,679
29.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.04
3.87
4.39%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: March 2, 2026

Last update for Nanjing: March 3, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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