Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Quezon City

For one person, living is cheaper in Quezon City: $860 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Quezon City
Learn more

Quezon City Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Quezon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$860

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Quezon City

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

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Shenzhen vs $860 in Quezon City, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,138
Quezon City $860

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,372 in Quezon City, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,750
Quezon City $1,372

A family of three spends $2,362 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,885 in Quezon City, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,362
Quezon City $1,885

Shenzhen costs about 32% more than Quezon City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Quezon City are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 16% lower, Quezon City 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$4.48 ₱282

-18.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$18.90 ₱1,190

55.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$2.84 ₱179

85.92%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$2.79 ₱175

17.20%

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

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.75 ₱47.41

-28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.27 ₱16.78

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$1.45 ₱91.6

5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$2.83 ₱178

-24.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.68 ₱106

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.14 ₱71.6

42.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$0.84 ₱53.0

29.76%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.75 ₱110

-2.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$6.69 ₱421

219.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$4.24 ₱267

-18.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$7.23 ₱455

97.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$3.96 ₱250

-40.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.36 ₱85.7

16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$3.46 ₱218

-43.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.13 ₱71.3

30.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$2.35 ₱148

-54.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$3.32 ₱209

-62.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$1.42 ₱89.7

-58.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.97 ₱61.2

-39.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$2.82 ₱178

56.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$7.73 ₱487

51.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$1.33 ₱83.8

-26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$1.79 ₱113

-2.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.36 ₱22.92

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$19.25 ₱1,212

15.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$0.77 ₱48.63

88.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.21 ₱13.22

85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$2.57 ₱162

173.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.18 ₱74.6

13.56%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$21.4K ₱1.4M

-9.43%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-5.01%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$163 ₱10.2K

-59.99%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$14.34 ₱903

-28.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$24.17 ₱1,522

-33.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$38.36 ₱2,415

27.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$3.30 ₱207

422.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$7.01 ₱441

7.13%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$71.8 ₱4,522

648.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$2,491 ₱156.8K

873.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$35.65 ₱2,245

54.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$22.77 ₱1,433

75.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$77.8 ₱4,898

-6.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$77.0 ₱4,850

21.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$312 ₱19.7K

145.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$187 ₱11.8K

159.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$746 ₱47.0K

165.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$537 ₱33.8K

62.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$2,370 ₱149.2K

480.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$1,425 ₱89.7K

328.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

$429 ₱27.0K

304.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

-52.14%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Quezon City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Quezon City

$187 21.8% 61.5% $299

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Quezon City

$206 24% 18.1% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Quezon City

$96 11.2% 18.2% $21

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Quezon City

$95 11% 5% $5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Quezon City

$201 23.4% 120% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Quezon City

$52 6.1% 17.9% $11

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Quezon City

$23 2.6% 20.1% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Shenzhen versus $312 in Quezon City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 305% higher in Shenzhen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Shenzhen versus $19.00 in Quezon City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $206 – making Quezon City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇵🇭 Quezon City

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

2,936,116

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shenzhen Quezon City 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Quezon City

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 Quezon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen costs about 32% more than Quezon City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,706 per month in Shenzhen and $1,290 in Quezon City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quezon City, 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 $71.8 in Quezon City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Quezon City, where all-in costs run around $860, than in Shenzhen at $1,138. In Quezon City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Quezon City costs $860 versus $1,138 in Shenzhen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Quezon City. 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.