Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Quzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Quzhou: $701 a month against $1,131 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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 Quzhou
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Quzhou Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,131

/mo nomad

Quzhou

🇨🇳 China

$701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Quzhou

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

A single person spends $1,131 per month in Shenzhen vs $701 in Quzhou, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,131
Quzhou $701

A couple spends around $1,741 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,153 in Quzhou, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,741
Quzhou $1,153

A family of three spends $2,352 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,606 in Quzhou, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,352
Quzhou $1,606

Shenzhen costs about 61% more than Quzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenzhen and Quzhou are more affordable than the global median – Shenzhen 17% lower, Quzhou 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.93

$2.77 ¥18.49

34.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.92 ¥200

$29.42 ¥197

1.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$4.52 ¥30.24

18.58%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ¥22.66

$3.55 ¥23.73

-4.51%

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

$0.55 ¥3.67

$0.47 ¥3.16

17.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.29 ¥1.93

20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.84

$1.03 ¥6.89

42.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥14.50

$3.45 ¥23.10

-37.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥10.64

$1.74 ¥11.61

-8.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.88

$1.14 ¥7.62

42.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$0.70 ¥4.67

62.86%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥11.89

$1.65 ¥11.00

7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.25 ¥142

$15.10 ¥101

40.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.10

$3.66 ¥24.50

-5.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 ¥98.2

$9.06 ¥60.6

62.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 ¥14.94

$1.02 ¥6.84

118.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ¥10.73

$1.55 ¥10.37

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.67

$1.49 ¥9.99

26.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.41

$1.17 ¥7.85

20.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.95

$0.63 ¥4.18

65.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.36

$0.75 ¥5.03

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.70 ¥4.66

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.58 ¥3.88

5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ¥29.30

$4.61 ¥30.84

-4.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 ¥78.4

$8.06 ¥53.9

45.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.53

$0.81 ¥5.41

20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.21

$1.43 ¥9.59

27.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.31 ¥2.09

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.57 ¥151

$18.24 ¥122

23.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.15

$1.74 ¥11.66

-12.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.34 ¥2.29

11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 ¥46.71

$7.04 ¥47.05

-0.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.02

$1.31 ¥8.75

3.05%

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

$19.8K ¥132.4K

$19.5K ¥130.2K

1.65%

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

$17.9K ¥119.8K

$17.8K ¥118.8K

0.81%

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

$62.8 ¥420

$51.8 ¥346

21.11%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$6.59 ¥44.09

55.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.36 ¥109

$7.92 ¥53.0

106.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 ¥331

$40.84 ¥273

21.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.32 ¥116

$15.02 ¥100

15.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 ¥51.1

$7.74 ¥51.7

-1.29%

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

$526 ¥3,519

$415 ¥2,773

26.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥164.1K

$16.0K ¥106.9K

53.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ¥369

$62.4 ¥417

-11.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.99 ¥267

$26.59 ¥178

50.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ¥484

$61.6 ¥412

17.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 ¥620

$51.7 ¥346

79.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 ¥5,158

$302 ¥2,017

155.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 ¥3,195

$179 ¥1,199

166.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ¥13.3K

$618 ¥4,135

220.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥5,696

$381 ¥2,548

123.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥91.2K

$3,522 ¥23.6K

287.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,013 ¥40.2K

$1,905 ¥12.7K

215.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,751 ¥11.7K

$713 ¥4,771

145.46%

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 Quzhou: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$478 42.3%

Quzhou

$179 25.6% 62.5% $299

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.2%

Quzhou

$191 27.3% 23.9% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.4%

Quzhou

$91 13% 22.2% $26

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$102 9%

Quzhou

$93 13.3% 8.3% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$89 7.9%

Quzhou

$66 9.5% 25.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$65 5.7%

Quzhou

$56 8% 13.1% $8.5

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Quzhou

$23 3.3% 18.9% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $771 in Shenzhen versus $302 in Quzhou. 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 145% 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 $30.00 in Shenzhen versus $29.00 in Quzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $191 – making Quzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Quzhou

🕒 Local time

23:43 11:43 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

2,122,661

💱 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 Quzhou 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min 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 Quzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shenzhen is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,696 per month in Shenzhen and $1,051 in Quzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 24% less in Quzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $526 per month in Shenzhen and $415 in Quzhou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quzhou, where all-in costs run around $701, than in Shenzhen at $1,131. In Quzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shenzhen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quzhou – 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 Quzhou. 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.