Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Xi'an Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Xi'an

😐 Solo nomad: Shenzhen is 18.2% more expensive than Xi'an without rent, and 43.3% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Shenzhen is 24.7% more expensive than Xi'an without rent, and 55.4% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.18 ¥21.99
$2.76 ¥19.08
15.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.99 ¥193
$18.23 ¥126
53.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.05 ¥34.93
$5.62 ¥38.81
-10.14%
Cappuccino
$3.33 ¥22.98
$3.38 ¥23.33
-1.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ¥3.38
$0.42 ¥2.92
16.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ¥2.07
$0.26 ¥1.78
15.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.28 ¥8.87
$1.14 ¥7.89
12.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 ¥19.45
$1.77 ¥12.25
58.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.81 ¥12.51
$1.49 ¥10.29
21.48%
White Bread (500g)
$2.03 ¥14.02
$1.61 ¥11.11
26.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 ¥8.44
$0.86 ¥5.97
41.86%
Eggs
$1.86 ¥12.86
$1.62 ¥11.23
14.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.98 ¥89.7
$6.93 ¥47.91
87.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.05 ¥27.95
$2.07 ¥14.29
95.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.37 ¥92.4
$8.87 ¥61.3
50.73%
Apples (1kg)
$1.82 ¥12.54
$1.60 ¥11.03
13.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 ¥10.04
$1.18 ¥8.15
22.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.79 ¥12.34
$1.33 ¥9.18
34.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.35 ¥9.32
$0.75 ¥5.21
80.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.06 ¥7.32
$0.66 ¥4.53
60.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.43 ¥9.85
$0.56 ¥3.89
155.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.70 ¥4.81
$0.55 ¥3.79
27.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 ¥4.18
$0.56 ¥3.90
8.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.58 ¥24.75
$2.81 ¥19.44
27.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ¥92.7
$7.27 ¥50.2
84.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 ¥6.07
$0.77 ¥5.34
14.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 ¥13.21
$1.76 ¥12.16
8.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ¥2.79
$0.47 ¥3.26
-14.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.87 ¥151
$33.48 ¥231
-34.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.64 ¥11.34
$1.37 ¥9.47
19.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 ¥2.41
$0.30 ¥2.07
16.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.88 ¥47.56
$4.06 ¥28.07
69.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 ¥8.07
$1.18 ¥8.12
-0.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.1K ¥159.3K
$20.7K ¥143.3K
11.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.7K ¥143.2K
$15.9K ¥109.7K
30.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$65.6 ¥453
$45.31 ¥313
44.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.30 ¥57.3
$5.83 ¥40.28
42.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.03 ¥90.0
$12.01 ¥83.0
8.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.30 ¥341
$43.59 ¥301
13.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.51 ¥121
$16.48 ¥114
6.25%
Cinema Ticket
$7.07 ¥48.86
$4.90 ¥33.84
44.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$454 ¥3,138
$336 ¥2,323
35.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.5K ¥141.6K
$17.9K ¥123.5K
14.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.31 ¥334
$55.8 ¥386
-13.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.67 ¥212
$38.04 ¥263
-19.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.5 ¥522
$69.7 ¥482
8.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 ¥538
$70.2 ¥485
10.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$755 ¥5,220
$254 ¥1,753
197.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$405 ¥2,796
$195 ¥1,350
107.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,662 ¥11.5K
$496 ¥3,429
234.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$903 ¥6,238
$375 ¥2,593
140.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.5K ¥93.3K
$2,514 ¥17.4K
436.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,851 ¥40.4K
$1,529 ¥10.6K
282.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,625 ¥11.2K
$1,098 ¥7,588
47.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.04
4.32
-6.48%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: March 2, 2026

Last update for Xi'an: February 28, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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