Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Pingdingshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Pingdingshan: $721 a month against $1,131 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Pingdingshan
Learn more

Pingdingshan Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,131

/mo nomad

Pingdingshan

🇨🇳 China

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Pingdingshan

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

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Shenzhen vs $721 in Pingdingshan, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,138
Pingdingshan $721

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,119 in Pingdingshan, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,750
Pingdingshan $1,119

A family of three spends $2,362 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,516 in Pingdingshan, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,362
Pingdingshan $1,516

Shenzhen costs about 58% more than Pingdingshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.93

$2.18 ¥14.54

71.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.92 ¥200

$12.03 ¥80.4

148.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$4.52 ¥30.24

18.58%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ¥22.66

$2.18 ¥14.56

55.50%

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

$0.55 ¥3.67

$0.35 ¥2.36

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.17 ¥1.14

105.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.84

$0.76 ¥5.11

93.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥14.50

$1.52 ¥10.18

42.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥10.64

$1.51 ¥10.07

5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.88

$1.67 ¥11.17

-2.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$0.83 ¥5.57

37.35%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥11.89

$0.98 ¥6.55

81.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.25 ¥142

$8.08 ¥54.0

163.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.10

$3.20 ¥21.38

7.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 ¥98.2

$10.50 ¥70.2

39.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 ¥14.94

$1.44 ¥9.66

54.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ¥10.73

$0.98 ¥6.56

64.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.67

$1.09 ¥7.29

73.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.41

$1.18 ¥7.92

19.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.95

$0.62 ¥4.15

67.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.36

$0.68 ¥4.56

83.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.68 ¥4.53

-17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.72 ¥4.84

-15.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ¥29.30

$3.28 ¥21.91

33.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 ¥78.4

$15.03 ¥101

-22.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.53

$0.99 ¥6.60

-1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.21

$2.00 ¥13.39

-8.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.31 ¥2.10

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.57 ¥151

$17.76 ¥119

27.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.15

$0.77 ¥5.17

97.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.31 ¥2.09

22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 ¥46.71

$3.54 ¥23.64

97.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.02

$1.05 ¥7.05

28.57%

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

$19.8K ¥132.4K

$12.0K ¥80.5K

64.55%

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

$17.9K ¥119.8K

$17.2K ¥115.2K

3.99%

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

$62.8 ¥420

$70.0 ¥468

-10.38%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$6.92 ¥46.26

48.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.36 ¥109

$10.24 ¥68.5

59.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 ¥331

$42.43 ¥284

16.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.32 ¥116

$16.31 ¥109

6.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 ¥51.1

$6.05 ¥40.42

26.28%

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

$526 ¥3,519

$383 ¥2,563

37.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥164.1K

$31.0K ¥207.3K

-20.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ¥369

$43.61 ¥292

26.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.99 ¥267

$33.36 ¥223

19.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ¥484

$74.6 ¥499

-3.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 ¥620

$71.7 ¥480

29.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 ¥5,158

$277 ¥1,851

178.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 ¥3,195

$204 ¥1,364

134.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ¥13.3K

$610 ¥4,081

225.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥5,696

$421 ¥2,817

102.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥91.2K

$2,852 ¥19.1K

378.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,013 ¥40.2K

$1,860 ¥12.4K

223.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,751 ¥11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.29

1.82%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 20, 2026

Last update for Pingdingshan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$478 42.3%

Pingdingshan

$204 28.3% 57.3% $274

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.2%

Pingdingshan

$188 26% 25.3% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.4%

Pingdingshan

$100 13.9% 14.2% $17

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$102 9%

Pingdingshan

$66 9.2% 35.2% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$89 7.9%

Pingdingshan

$87 12.1% 2.4% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$65 5.7%

Pingdingshan

$55 7.6% 15.9% $10

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Pingdingshan

$21 3% 24.5% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Shenzhen versus $277 in Pingdingshan. 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 $12.00 in Pingdingshan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $188 – making Pingdingshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Pingdingshan

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

5,000,000

💱 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 Pingdingshan 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Pingdingshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,138 in Shenzhen, $721 in Pingdingshan – roughly 58% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,706 per month in Shenzhen and $1,082 in Pingdingshan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pingdingshan, 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 $383 in Pingdingshan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% 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 Pingdingshan, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Shenzhen at $1,138. In Pingdingshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pingdingshan – 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 Pingdingshan. 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.