Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Nanjing

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanjing: $838 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Nanjing
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Nanjing Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Nanjing

🇨🇳 China

$838

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Nanjing

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,117 in Shenzhen versus $838 in Nanjing.

Shenzhen $1,117
Nanjing $838

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,714 in Shenzhen versus $1,317 in Nanjing.

Shenzhen $1,714
Nanjing $1,317

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,310 in Shenzhen versus $1,797 in Nanjing.

Shenzhen $2,310
Nanjing $1,797

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 33% more expensive than in Nanjing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 18% lower, Nanjing 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$3.84 ¥25.56

-4.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$22.82 ¥152

28.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.16

$4.78 ¥31.78

10.46%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.34

$3.17 ¥21.08

5.99%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.54 ¥3.60

7.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.27 ¥1.82

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$1.54 ¥10.26

-3.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$2.27 ¥15.09

-5.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.22

$2.09 ¥13.90

-26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$2.07 ¥13.78

-21.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$0.91 ¥6.06

25.27%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$1.36 ¥9.05

28.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$10.45 ¥69.5

98.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$2.96 ¥19.71

15.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$8.81 ¥58.6

63.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$2.09 ¥13.92

7.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.30 ¥8.62

24.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.81 ¥12.03

7.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.06 ¥7.07

33.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$0.90 ¥5.97

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$0.95 ¥6.33

34.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.93 ¥6.19

-35.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$0.53 ¥3.50

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$3.85 ¥25.63

15.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$13.42 ¥89.3

-9.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.00 ¥6.66

-8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$1.51 ¥10.05

21.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.31 ¥2.07

41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$30.16 ¥201

-40.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$1.70 ¥11.30

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.38 ¥2.55

7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.97

$9.16 ¥60.9

-19.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.36 ¥9.03

-2.94%

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$19.6K ¥130.6K

-2.07%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$17.7K ¥117.5K

2.18%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$53.8 ¥358

20.39%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$7.62 ¥50.7

29.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$7.14 ¥47.49

129.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$28.75 ¥191

70.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$34.96 ¥233

-51.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$6.17 ¥41.08

17.99%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$1,461 ¥9,721

-63.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$22.8K ¥152.0K

6.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$43.23 ¥288

28.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$34.43 ¥229

17.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$64.2 ¥427

13.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$88.8 ¥591

5.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,009

$490 ¥3,259

53.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$287 ¥1,913

63.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$1,031 ¥6,857

79.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,524

$531 ¥3,533

56.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.7K

$4,837 ¥32.2K

172.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$3,107 ¥20.7K

108.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

$1,450 ¥9,645

21.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.42

-2.05%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Nanjing: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Nanjing

$287 34.3% 38.9% $183

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Nanjing

$204 24.3% 18.3% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Nanjing

$104 12.4% 12.4% $15

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Nanjing

$99 11.8% 2.2% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Nanjing

$69 8.2% 24.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Nanjing

$41 4.9% 35.3% $22

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Nanjing

$35 4.2% 49.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Shenzhen and $490 in Nanjing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29 in Shenzhen vs $23 in Nanjing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $204 per month, with Nanjing cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Nanjing

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

9,314,685

💱 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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Shenzhen Nanjing 1,150 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 Nanjing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanjing is about 25% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Shenzhen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $753 in Shenzhen versus $490 in Nanjing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nanjing – a meal for two runs $23 versus $29 in Shenzhen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,117 per month in Shenzhen versus $838 in Nanjing – Nanjing is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $838 in Nanjing versus $1,117 in Shenzhen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nanjing but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Nanjing the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

It comes down to priorities – Nanjing wins on affordability, Shenzhen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.