Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Qinhuangdao Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Qinhuangdao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $999 in Shenzhen versus $725 in Qinhuangdao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,664 in Shenzhen versus $1,135 in Qinhuangdao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,329 in Shenzhen versus $1,544 in Qinhuangdao.

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 38% more expensive than in Qinhuangdao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 25% lower, Qinhuangdao 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.25 ¥21.98

$2.80 ¥18.97

16.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.48 ¥186

$21.93 ¥148

25.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 ¥32.96

$5.00 ¥33.85

-2.60%

Cappuccino

$3.26 ¥22.09

$3.04 ¥20.57

7.24%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$0.47 ¥3.18

2.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.29 ¥1.97

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.25

$0.88 ¥5.98

38.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 ¥19.37

$2.06 ¥13.95

38.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.93

$1.87 ¥12.64

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.20

$1.63 ¥11.01

19.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.32

$0.91 ¥6.13

35.16%

Eggs

$1.85 ¥12.52

$1.52 ¥10.31

21.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 ¥86.5

$12.82 ¥86.8

-0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.00 ¥27.07

$3.12 ¥21.12

28.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.50 ¥91.3

$10.32 ¥69.8

30.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥12.09

$1.81 ¥12.23

-1.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.61

$1.22 ¥8.24

16.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.71

$1.54 ¥10.41

12.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 ¥9.51

$1.14 ¥7.71

22.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.51

$0.75 ¥5.09

48.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 ¥9.48

$0.95 ¥6.45

47.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ¥4.76

$0.57 ¥3.84

22.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.90

$0.51 ¥3.43

13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ¥24.07

$3.08 ¥20.82

15.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ¥84.3

$10.62 ¥71.9

17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.09

$0.78 ¥5.28

15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.38

$1.59 ¥10.73

15.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ¥2.73

$0.27 ¥1.82

48.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.85 ¥148

$16.61 ¥112

31.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 ¥11.58

$1.43 ¥9.68

19.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.32 ¥2.20

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥47.50

$6.66 ¥45.10

5.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.99

$1.13 ¥7.68

4.42%

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

$23.1K ¥156.3K

$19.8K ¥133.9K

16.73%

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

$20.7K ¥139.8K

$17.1K ¥115.5K

20.97%

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

$67.3 ¥456

$44.27 ¥300

52.09%

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

$8.26 ¥55.9

$9.55 ¥64.6

-13.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.86 ¥87.0

$11.58 ¥78.4

11.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.95 ¥338

$41.46 ¥281

20.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.27 ¥117

$13.96 ¥94.5

23.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.00 ¥47.40

$5.94 ¥40.22

17.85%

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

$460 ¥3,116

$333 ¥2,256

38.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K ¥138.2K

$17.1K ¥115.7K

19.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.14 ¥332

$43.29 ¥293

13.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.64 ¥207

$30.89 ¥209

-0.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥510

$73.0 ¥494

3.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥533

$70.5 ¥477

11.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 ¥5,013

$273 ¥1,848

171.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥2,782

$191 ¥1,293

115.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 ¥11.6K

$580 ¥3,925

194.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 ¥6,159

$366 ¥2,473

149.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.5K ¥84.7K

$3,051 ¥20.6K

310.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,184 ¥41.8K

$2,037 ¥13.8K

203.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,743 ¥11.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

3.89

3.86%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Qinhuangdao: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Shenzhen and $273 in Qinhuangdao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Shenzhen vs $22.00 in Qinhuangdao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $199 per month, with Qinhuangdao cheaper across the board.

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 Qinhuangdao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen and Qinhuangdao differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($999 vs $725 including rent). Qinhuangdao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,499 in Shenzhen and $1,088 in Qinhuangdao to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Shenzhen versus $273 in Qinhuangdao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Shenzhen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Qinhuangdao – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $27.00 in Shenzhen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $725 in Qinhuangdao versus $999 in Shenzhen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qinhuangdao but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Qinhuangdao 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 Qinhuangdao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.