Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Nanyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanyang: $714 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Nanyang
Learn more

Nanyang Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Nanyang

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Nanyang

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

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Shenzhen vs $714 in Nanyang, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,138
Nanyang $714

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,131 in Nanyang, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,750
Nanyang $1,131

A family of three spends $2,362 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,547 in Nanyang, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,362
Nanyang $1,547

Shenzhen costs about 59% more than Nanyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Nanyang are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 16% lower, Nanyang 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$2.81 ¥18.76

30.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$21.42 ¥143

37.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$4.94 ¥33.06

6.88%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$3.03 ¥20.27

7.92%

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

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.43 ¥2.88

25.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.27 ¥1.79

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$0.94 ¥6.26

62.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$2.04 ¥13.67

5.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.84 ¥12.31

-11.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.55 ¥10.38

4.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$0.96 ¥6.42

13.54%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.53 ¥10.22

11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$12.63 ¥84.4

69.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$3.10 ¥20.76

11.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$10.39 ¥69.4

37.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$1.86 ¥12.43

25.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.20 ¥8.01

31.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.52 ¥10.17

28.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.15 ¥7.71

27.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$0.75 ¥5.00

44.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.88 ¥5.91

42.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.56 ¥3.75

5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.51 ¥3.42

15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$3.11 ¥20.82

41.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$10.54 ¥70.5

11.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.79 ¥5.28

24.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$1.60 ¥10.70

9.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.27 ¥1.78

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$16.87 ¥113

32.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.35 ¥9.04

7.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.33 ¥2.19

18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$6.54 ¥43.73

7.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.16 ¥7.79

15.52%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$19.2K ¥128.3K

1.26%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$17.3K ¥115.8K

4.77%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$44.91 ¥300

44.96%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$9.66 ¥64.6

6.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$11.89 ¥79.5

36.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$42.55 ¥285

14.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$13.68 ¥91.5

26.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$6.00 ¥40.10

25.17%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$328 ¥2,194

63.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$16.9K ¥113.3K

43.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$43.25 ¥289

26.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$30.62 ¥205

30.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$70.7 ¥473

2.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$72.3 ¥484

29.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$278 ¥1,858

176.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$192 ¥1,283

153.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$582 ¥3,891

240.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$359 ¥2,398

142.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$3,009 ¥20.1K

357.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$2,052 ¥13.7K

197.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.89

-13.88%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nanyang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Nanyang

$192 26.9% 60.5% $294

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Nanyang

$197 27.6% 21.4% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Nanyang

$98 13.7% 16.8% $20

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Nanyang

$85 11.9% 14.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Nanyang

$66 9.3% 27.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Nanyang

$55 7.6% 14.5% $9.3

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Nanyang

$21 2.9% 25.8% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Shenzhen versus $278 in Nanyang. 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 $21.00 in Nanyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $197 – making Nanyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Nanyang

🕒 Local time

11:09 11:09 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

2,085,680

💱 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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Between locations

Shenzhen Nanyang 1,170 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 Nanyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,138 in Shenzhen, $714 in Nanyang – roughly 59% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,706 per month in Shenzhen and $1,071 in Nanyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanyang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,138 in Shenzhen and $714 in Nanyang. That's a gap of about 59%.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Nanyang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanyang, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Shenzhen at $1,138. In Nanyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nanyang – 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 Nanyang. 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.