Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Taipei

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenzhen: $1,138 a month against $1,368 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Taipei

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Shenzhen versus $1,368 in Taipei.

Shenzhen $1,138
Taipei $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Shenzhen versus $2,202 in Taipei.

Shenzhen $1,750
Taipei $2,202

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,362 in Shenzhen versus $3,036 in Taipei.

Shenzhen $2,362
Taipei $3,036

Living in Shenzhen costs roughly 17% less than in Taipei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shenzhen is 16% below, Taipei is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$4.60 NT$149

-20.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$47.13 NT$1,528

-37.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$5.58 NT$181

-5.38%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$3.45 NT$112

-5.22%

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

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.94 NT$30.61

-42.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.67 NT$21.73

-50.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$2.86 NT$92.7

-46.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$3.70 NT$120

-41.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$3.12 NT$101

-48.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.97 NT$64.0

-17.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$3.16 NT$103

-65.51%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$2.68 NT$86.9

-36.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$19.90 NT$645

7.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$9.85 NT$319

-64.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$21.51 NT$698

-33.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$4.85 NT$157

-51.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$3.25 NT$105

-51.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$3.03 NT$98.2

-35.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$4.53 NT$147

-67.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$2.79 NT$90.4

-61.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$2.34 NT$75.9

-46.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$1.68 NT$54.5

-64.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$1.10 NT$35.62

-46.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$3.80 NT$123

16.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$14.17 NT$460

-17.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$1.63 NT$53.0

-39.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$2.29 NT$74.3

-23.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.65 NT$21.04

-3.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$37.88 NT$1,228

-41.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$2.68 NT$86.8

-45.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.82 NT$26.55

-52.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$9.17 NT$297

-23.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.02 NT$32.93

31.37%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$32.8K NT$1.1M

-40.80%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$24.5K NT$795.1K

-25.98%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$87.7 NT$2,843

-25.75%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$17.28 NT$560

-40.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$27.38 NT$888

-40.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$40.32 NT$1,308

20.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$15.94 NT$517

8.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$9.83 NT$319

-23.60%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$663 NT$21.5K

-18.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$16.6K NT$538.4K

46.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$62.4 NT$2,025

-12.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$39.51 NT$1,281

1.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$84.5 NT$2,740

-14.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$106 NT$3,424

-11.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$999 NT$32.4K

-23.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$473 NT$15.3K

2.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$1,565 NT$50.8K

26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$948 NT$30.7K

-8.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$11.9K NT$385.6K

15.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$7,306 NT$236.9K

-16.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

$1,760 NT$57.1K

-1.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

2.4

39.58%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Taipei: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Taipei

$473 34.6% 2.6% $12

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Taipei

$400 29.3% 59.4% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Taipei

$131 9.6% 12% $14

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Taipei

$123 9% 23.3% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Taipei

$132 9.7% 44.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Taipei

$60 4.4% 6% $3.8

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Taipei

$47 3.5% 67.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Shenzhen and $999 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 1% 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: $29.00 in Shenzhen vs $47.00 in Taipei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $400 per month, with Shenzhen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇹🇼 Taipei

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

2,635,286 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Shenzhen
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Shenzhen vs Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Taipei. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shenzhen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Taipei. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $768 in Shenzhen versus $999 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shenzhen runs roughly 70% less than in Taipei. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $538 in Shenzhen versus $663 in Taipei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,138 in Shenzhen versus $1,368 in Taipei, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shenzhen but tight or insufficient in Taipei. The gap between the two cities makes Shenzhen 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.

Safety-wise, Shenzhen and Taipei are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Shenzhen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.