Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: $708 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
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Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🇨🇳 China

$708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,117 in Shenzhen versus $708 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Shenzhen $1,117
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $708

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,714 in Shenzhen versus $1,174 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Shenzhen $1,714
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,174

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,310 in Shenzhen versus $1,639 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Shenzhen $2,310
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,639

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 58% more expensive than in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 18% lower, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.39

$3.71 ¥24.71

-1.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$25.88 ¥173

13.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.22

$4.68 ¥31.22

12.82%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.38

$3.18 ¥21.20

5.66%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.44 ¥2.94

31.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.33 ¥2.21

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.84

$0.88 ¥5.85

68.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.28

$1.49 ¥9.91

43.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.24

$1.82 ¥12.12

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.86

$1.19 ¥7.91

36.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.61

$0.87 ¥5.81

31.03%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.65

$1.99 ¥13.26

-12.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$19.03 ¥127

8.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.75

$3.78 ¥25.21

-9.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.1

$6.11 ¥40.72

136.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.99

$2.28 ¥15.20

-1.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$1.40 ¥9.32

15.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.90

$1.48 ¥9.89

31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.48

$1.32 ¥8.82

7.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.22

$0.92 ¥6.14

17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.53

$0.94 ¥6.30

36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$0.67 ¥4.44

-10.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.58 ¥3.86

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.55

$3.68 ¥24.56

20.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.6

$13.30 ¥88.7

-9.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.16

$0.82 ¥5.44

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.17

$1.52 ¥10.16

20.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.91

$0.29 ¥1.92

51.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$16.68 ¥111

8.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.17

$1.96 ¥13.07

-21.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.36 ¥2.37

13.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥49.06

$7.05 ¥46.97

4.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.79

$1.23 ¥8.21

7.32%

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

$19.2K ¥128.2K

$17.6K ¥117.6K

9.00%

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

$18.0K ¥120.3K

$18.1K ¥121.0K

-0.55%

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

$64.8 ¥432

$18.87 ¥126

243.24%

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

$9.90 ¥66.0

$10.02 ¥66.8

-1.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$11.05 ¥73.7

48.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$59.0 ¥393

-17.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$15.56 ¥104

8.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.52

$7.46 ¥49.72

-2.41%

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

$537 ¥3,578

$299 ¥1,993

79.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.7K

$17.7K ¥118.2K

37.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥372

$45.39 ¥303

22.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$41.76 ¥278

-2.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥487

$59.8 ¥398

22.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥626

$59.6 ¥397

57.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,018

$260 ¥1,730

190.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,137

$172 ¥1,143

174.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$604 ¥4,023

206.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,534

$369 ¥2,461

124.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.9K

$2,998 ¥20.0K

339.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.2K

$1,945 ¥13.0K

233.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.5

-4.29%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$172 24.2% 63.6% $299

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$216 30.5% 13.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$93 13.1% 21.5% $26

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$92 13% 8.4% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$40 5.6% 56.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$74 10.4% 16.4% $10

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$22 3% 7.7% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Shenzhen and $260 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29 in Shenzhen vs $26 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $216 per month, with Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

831,113

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shenzhen Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 1,210 km ≈ 2 h 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,675 in Shenzhen and $1,063 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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: $753 in Shenzhen versus $260 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu runs roughly 8% less than in Shenzhen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $537 in Shenzhen versus $299 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $708 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $1,117 in Shenzhen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Shenzhen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.