Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Ningbo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ningbo: $691 a month against $1,131 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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 Ningbo
Learn more

Ningbo Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,131

/mo nomad

Ningbo

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Ningbo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,131 in Shenzhen versus $691 in Ningbo.

Shenzhen $1,131
Ningbo $691

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,741 in Shenzhen versus $1,179 in Ningbo.

Shenzhen $1,741
Ningbo $1,179

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,352 in Shenzhen versus $1,668 in Ningbo.

Shenzhen $2,352
Ningbo $1,668

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 64% more expensive than in Ningbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 17% lower, Ningbo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.93

$2.89 ¥19.32

29.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.92 ¥200

$30.12 ¥201

-0.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$4.46 ¥29.83

20.18%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ¥22.66

$3.52 ¥23.55

-3.69%

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

$0.55 ¥3.67

$0.44 ¥2.93

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.31 ¥2.08

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.84

$1.04 ¥6.95

41.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥14.50

$3.44 ¥23.00

-36.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥10.64

$1.74 ¥11.65

-8.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.88

$1.16 ¥7.79

40.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$0.70 ¥4.66

62.86%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥11.89

$1.56 ¥10.46

14.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.25 ¥142

$15.18 ¥101

39.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.10

$3.67 ¥24.53

-5.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 ¥98.2

$8.78 ¥58.7

67.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 ¥14.94

$1.07 ¥7.13

108.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ¥10.73

$1.56 ¥10.42

3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.67

$1.57 ¥10.52

20.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.41

$1.22 ¥8.13

15.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.95

$0.62 ¥4.12

67.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.36

$0.70 ¥4.69

78.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.65 ¥4.32

-13.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.57 ¥3.83

7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ¥29.30

$4.61 ¥30.79

-4.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 ¥78.4

$8.03 ¥53.7

45.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.53

$0.81 ¥5.43

20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.21

$1.50 ¥10.04

22.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.31 ¥2.08

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.57 ¥151

$16.67 ¥111

35.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.15

$1.68 ¥11.21

-9.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.35 ¥2.31

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 ¥46.71

$7.16 ¥47.90

-2.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.02

$1.33 ¥8.88

1.50%

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

$19.8K ¥132.4K

$19.6K ¥131.1K

0.94%

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

$17.9K ¥119.8K

$18.1K ¥121.3K

-1.22%

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

$62.8 ¥420

$51.9 ¥347

20.90%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$6.67 ¥44.63

53.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.36 ¥109

$7.80 ¥52.1

109.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 ¥331

$25.44 ¥170

94.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.32 ¥116

$14.16 ¥94.7

22.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 ¥51.1

$8.05 ¥53.8

-5.09%

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

$526 ¥3,519

$932 ¥6,234

-43.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥164.1K

$15.9K ¥106.6K

53.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ¥369

$63.8 ¥427

-13.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.99 ¥267

$26.75 ¥179

49.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ¥484

$62.2 ¥416

16.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 ¥620

$52.6 ¥351

76.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 ¥5,158

$358 ¥2,394

115.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 ¥3,195

$184 ¥1,230

159.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ¥13.3K

$766 ¥5,121

159.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥5,696

$469 ¥3,136

81.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥91.2K

$3,784 ¥25.3K

260.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,013 ¥40.2K

$2,053 ¥13.7K

192.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,751 ¥11.7K

$1,193 ¥7,977

46.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.18

5.35%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ningbo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$478 42.3%

Ningbo

$184 26.6% 61.5% $294

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.2%

Ningbo

$191 27.7% 24% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.4%

Ningbo

$92 13.4% 21.1% $25

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$102 9%

Ningbo

$94 13.6% 7.9% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$89 7.9%

Ningbo

$66 9.6% 25.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$65 5.7%

Ningbo

$42 6% 35.9% $23

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Ningbo

$21 3.1% 24.6% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $771 in Shenzhen and $358 in Ningbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 47% 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: $30.00 in Shenzhen vs $30.00 in Ningbo. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $191, with Ningbo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Ningbo

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

7,605,689

💱 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 Ningbo 1,110 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 Ningbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ningbo wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ningbo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 47% 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: $771 in Shenzhen versus $358 in Ningbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $526 in Shenzhen versus $932 in Ningbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Shenzhen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $691 in Ningbo versus $1,131 in Shenzhen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ningbo but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Ningbo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Ningbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.