Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Shaoxing Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Shaoxing

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,037 in Shenzhen versus $685 in Shaoxing.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,659 in Shenzhen versus $1,098 in Shaoxing.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,280 in Shenzhen versus $1,512 in Shaoxing.

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 51% more expensive than Shaoxing, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 23% lower, Shaoxing 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.13 ¥21.19

$2.77 ¥18.76

13.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.51 ¥186

$20.61 ¥140

33.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 ¥34.28

$4.14 ¥28.01

22.22%

Cappuccino

$3.33 ¥22.53

$2.74 ¥18.54

21.53%

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

$0.48 ¥3.25

$0.45 ¥3.06

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.90

$0.26 ¥1.78

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.29

$0.67 ¥4.53

82.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ¥19.15

$1.71 ¥11.55

65.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ¥11.73

$2.22 ¥15.05

-22.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 ¥13.36

$2.05 ¥13.91

-3.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.35

$0.77 ¥5.24

59.74%

Eggs

$1.94 ¥13.11

$1.54 ¥10.41

25.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 ¥86.4

$7.72 ¥52.3

65.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 ¥27.45

$2.83 ¥19.14

43.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ¥91.2

$9.13 ¥61.9

47.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 ¥12.70

$1.92 ¥13.04

-2.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.54

$1.42 ¥9.59

-0.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.33

$1.65 ¥11.14

10.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ¥9.09

$1.21 ¥8.17

10.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.10

$0.87 ¥5.89

20.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.92

$0.95 ¥6.45

53.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ¥4.78

$0.81 ¥5.50

-12.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.83

$0.61 ¥4.10

-6.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ¥22.90

$3.44 ¥23.32

-1.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 ¥87.5

$10.19 ¥69.0

26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.39

$0.79 ¥5.37

18.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥12.66

$1.55 ¥10.53

20.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ¥2.72

$0.29 ¥1.97

37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.76 ¥147

$16.85 ¥114

29.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ¥11.03

$1.56 ¥10.58

4.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.39 ¥2.62

-10.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥47.52

$8.50 ¥57.6

-17.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.99

$1.14 ¥7.70

3.51%

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

$22.9K ¥155.0K

$17.3K ¥117.5K

31.97%

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

$20.7K ¥140.4K

$14.7K ¥99.3K

41.46%

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

$65.3 ¥442

$42.83 ¥290

52.53%

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

$8.20 ¥55.5

$11.08 ¥75.1

-25.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.05 ¥88.4

$10.99 ¥74.4

18.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 ¥340

$41.87 ¥284

20.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.39 ¥118

$13.96 ¥94.6

24.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 ¥46.49

$5.46 ¥36.98

25.64%

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

$457 ¥3,094

$408 ¥2,765

11.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K ¥141.2K

$18.4K ¥124.7K

13.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.25 ¥334

$42.01 ¥285

17.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.67 ¥208

$31.12 ¥211

-1.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 ¥503

$67.7 ¥458

9.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.2 ¥543

$66.7 ¥452

20.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ¥4,990

$280 ¥1,897

163.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥2,785

$189 ¥1,280

117.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 ¥11.5K

$597 ¥4,045

183.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 ¥6,116

$355 ¥2,404

154.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.1K ¥89.0K

$3,194 ¥21.6K

311.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,222 ¥42.1K

$1,804 ¥12.2K

244.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,665 ¥11.3K

$891 ¥6,034

86.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

3.87

4.39%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shaoxing: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Shenzhen and $280 in Shaoxing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 87% 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: $28.00 in Shenzhen vs $21.00 in Shaoxing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $190 per month, with Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen and Shaoxing differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,037 vs $685 including rent). Shaoxing is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shenzhen pays 87% more on average, 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: $737 in Shenzhen versus $280 in Shaoxing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $457 in Shenzhen versus $408 in Shaoxing. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Shenzhen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $685 in Shaoxing versus $1,037 in Shenzhen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shaoxing but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.