Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Wuxi

For one person, living is cheaper in Wuxi: $758 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Wuxi
Learn more

Wuxi Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Wuxi

🇨🇳 China

$758

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Wuxi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,117 in Shenzhen versus $758 in Wuxi.

Shenzhen $1,117
Wuxi $758

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,714 in Shenzhen versus $1,199 in Wuxi.

Shenzhen $1,714
Wuxi $1,199

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

Shenzhen $2,310
Wuxi $1,639

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 47% more expensive than in Wuxi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 18% lower, Wuxi 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.31

$3.68 ¥24.49

-0.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥195

$23.69 ¥157

24.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.12

$4.60 ¥30.60

14.78%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.31

$3.13 ¥20.77

7.35%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.52 ¥3.47

11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.32 ¥2.13

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.81

$1.47 ¥9.75

0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.24

$3.05 ¥20.28

-29.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.21

$1.83 ¥12.14

-15.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.83

$2.15 ¥14.26

-24.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$1.10 ¥7.34

3.64%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.62

$1.92 ¥12.73

-8.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$13.83 ¥91.9

49.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.68

$3.34 ¥22.16

2.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥95.8

$11.43 ¥76.0

26.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.94

$2.66 ¥17.68

-15.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.77

$1.31 ¥8.68

23.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.86

$1.63 ¥10.82

19.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.46

$1.17 ¥7.78

21.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.19

$0.64 ¥4.26

68.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.51

$0.80 ¥5.33

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.96

$0.63 ¥4.19

-4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$0.58 ¥3.88

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.46

$5.29 ¥35.17

-16.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.3

$11.77 ¥78.2

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$0.93 ¥6.16

-1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.13

$2.17 ¥14.43

-15.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.43 ¥2.86

2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$18.44 ¥123

-2.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.14

$1.53 ¥10.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.43 ¥2.85

-4.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.90

$8.73 ¥58.0

-15.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.76

$1.28 ¥8.49

3.13%

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

$19.2K ¥127.8K

$19.5K ¥129.7K

-1.48%

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

$18.0K ¥119.9K

$18.8K ¥125.2K

-4.19%

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

$64.8 ¥430

$36.25 ¥241

78.68%

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

$9.90 ¥65.8

$11.66 ¥77.5

-15.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$27.85 ¥185

-41.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥325

$47.29 ¥314

3.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$7.25 ¥48.15

133.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.37

$5.87 ¥39.04

24.02%

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

$537 ¥3,567

$436 ¥2,897

23.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.2K

$16.2K ¥107.5K

50.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥370

$35.17 ¥234

58.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$21.96 ¥146

84.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥485

$65.6 ¥436

11.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥624

$44.15 ¥293

112.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,003

$332 ¥2,204

126.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,127

$204 ¥1,353

131.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$583 ¥3,871

217.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,516

$385 ¥2,556

115.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.6K

$3,637 ¥24.2K

262.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$1,969 ¥13.1K

229.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

$1,059 ¥7,038

66.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.13

7.03%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Wuxi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Wuxi

$204 26.9% 56.7% $267

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Wuxi

$223 29.5% 10.3% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Wuxi

$75 9.9% 36.6% $43

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Wuxi

$98 12.9% 3.2% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Wuxi

$76 10% 16.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Wuxi

$59 7.8% 7% $4.5

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Wuxi

$24 3.1% 2% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Shenzhen and $332 in Wuxi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 66% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $29 in Shenzhen vs $24 in Wuxi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $223 per month, with Wuxi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Wuxi

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

7,462,135

💱 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 Wuxi 1,180 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 Wuxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wuxi wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Wuxi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 66% higher in Shenzhen, 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: $753 in Shenzhen versus $332 in Wuxi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $537 in Shenzhen versus $436 in Wuxi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wuxi – a meal for two runs $24 versus $29 in Shenzhen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

For families, Wuxi 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.

It comes down to priorities – Wuxi wins on affordability, Shenzhen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.