Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Tengzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Tengzhou: $716 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Tengzhou
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Tengzhou Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Tengzhou

🇨🇳 China

$716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Tengzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Shenzhen versus $716 in Tengzhou.

Shenzhen $1,138
Tengzhou $716

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Shenzhen versus $1,135 in Tengzhou.

Shenzhen $1,750
Tengzhou $1,135

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,362 in Shenzhen versus $1,554 in Tengzhou.

Shenzhen $2,362
Tengzhou $1,554

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 59% more expensive than in Tengzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 16% lower, Tengzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$2.73 ¥18.28

34.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$21.24 ¥142

38.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$4.76 ¥31.81

10.92%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$2.95 ¥19.70

10.85%

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

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.47 ¥3.12

14.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.29 ¥1.95

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$0.93 ¥6.23

64.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$2.07 ¥13.82

3.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.82 ¥12.16

-10.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.61 ¥10.78

0.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$0.92 ¥6.15

18.48%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.61 ¥10.74

6.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$13.03 ¥87.2

64.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$3.13 ¥20.90

10.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$10.33 ¥69.1

37.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$1.89 ¥12.65

23.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.25 ¥8.36

26.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.49 ¥9.98

30.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.10 ¥7.35

33.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$0.70 ¥4.66

54.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.89 ¥5.93

40.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.55 ¥3.70

7.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.51 ¥3.41

15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$3.10 ¥20.72

42.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$10.43 ¥69.7

12.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.76 ¥5.07

28.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$1.63 ¥10.90

7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.27 ¥1.79

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$16.59 ¥111

34.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.41 ¥9.41

2.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.32 ¥2.17

21.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$6.62 ¥44.24

6.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.13 ¥7.58

18.58%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$19.3K ¥129.0K

0.67%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$17.1K ¥114.2K

6.26%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$45.42 ¥304

43.33%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$9.97 ¥66.7

2.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$11.66 ¥78.0

38.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$42.61 ¥285

14.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$14.09 ¥94.2

22.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$6.06 ¥40.50

23.93%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$329 ¥2,197

63.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$17.0K ¥113.9K

42.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$43.88 ¥293

25.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$30.30 ¥203

32.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$71.7 ¥479

1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$72.2 ¥483

29.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$273 ¥1,825

181.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$194 ¥1,294

150.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$601 ¥4,016

229.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$364 ¥2,436

138.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$2,978 ¥19.9K

362.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$2,032 ¥13.6K

200.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.89

-13.88%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tengzhou: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Tengzhou

$194 27% 60.2% $292

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Tengzhou

$199 27.7% 20.9% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Tengzhou

$98 13.7% 16.4% $19

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Tengzhou

$83 11.6% 16.5% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Tengzhou

$67 9.4% 26.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Tengzhou

$55 7.6% 14.2% $9.1

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Tengzhou

$21 2.9% 26.6% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Shenzhen and $273 in Tengzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29.00 in Shenzhen vs $21.00 in Tengzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $199 per month, with Tengzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Tengzhou

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

1,553,200

💱 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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Between locations

Shenzhen Tengzhou 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Tengzhou

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 Tengzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tengzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tengzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,706 in Shenzhen and $1,074 in Tengzhou 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: $768 in Shenzhen versus $273 in Tengzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tengzhou runs roughly 34% less than in Shenzhen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $538 in Shenzhen versus $329 in Tengzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $716 in Tengzhou versus $1,138 in Shenzhen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tengzhou but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Tengzhou 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 Tengzhou 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 Tengzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.