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

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Shenzhen is 21.6% more expensive than Xi'an without rent, and 48.3% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Shenzhen is 19.7% more expensive than Xi'an without rent, and 57.2% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.27 ยฅ22.83
$2.83 ยฅ19.77
15.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.04 ยฅ196
$18.23 ยฅ127
53.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.07 ยฅ35.45
$5.55 ยฅ38.81
-8.65%
Cappuccino
$3.18 ยฅ22.22
$3.33 ยฅ23.30
-4.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 ยฅ3.60
$0.43 ยฅ2.98
18.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 ยฅ1.96
$0.26 ยฅ1.81
7.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.27 ยฅ8.87
$1.13 ยฅ7.91
12.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 ยฅ19.21
$1.78 ยฅ12.42
54.49%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.79 ยฅ12.53
$1.55 ยฅ10.82
15.48%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 ยฅ14.30
$1.56 ยฅ10.88
31.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.23 ยฅ8.58
$0.82 ยฅ5.71
50.00%
Eggs
$1.84 ยฅ12.87
$1.68 ยฅ11.75
9.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.95 ยฅ90.5
$6.91 ยฅ48.30
87.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.07 ยฅ28.43
$2.06 ยฅ14.39
97.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.38 ยฅ93.5
$9.06 ยฅ63.3
47.68%
Apples (1kg)
$1.81 ยฅ12.65
$1.64 ยฅ11.48
10.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 ยฅ9.88
$1.14 ยฅ7.96
23.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.74 ยฅ12.20
$1.34 ยฅ9.38
29.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.34 ยฅ9.39
$0.81 ยฅ5.66
65.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.05 ยฅ7.36
$0.67 ยฅ4.67
56.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.42 ยฅ9.89
$0.55 ยฅ3.87
158.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 ยฅ5.23
$0.54 ยฅ3.79
38.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 ยฅ3.98
$0.52 ยฅ3.61
9.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.44 ยฅ24.06
$2.75 ยฅ19.21
25.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.46 ยฅ94.1
$7.11 ยฅ49.71
89.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 ยฅ6.61
$0.79 ยฅ5.50
20.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 ยฅ12.90
$1.79 ยฅ12.52
3.35%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.44 ยฅ3.07
$0.50 ยฅ3.53
-12.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.17 ยฅ155
$33.55 ยฅ234
-33.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.63 ยฅ11.39
$1.40 ยฅ9.79
16.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 ยฅ2.39
$0.32 ยฅ2.25
6.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.91 ยฅ48.28
$4.15 ยฅ29.03
66.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 ยฅ8.27
$1.14 ยฅ7.99
3.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.3K ยฅ162.8K
$20.6K ยฅ143.7K
13.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.7K ยฅ144.7K
$16.4K ยฅ115.0K
25.88%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$67.2 ยฅ470
$45.48 ยฅ318
47.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.23 ยฅ57.5
$6.03 ยฅ42.17
36.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.94 ยฅ90.4
$11.78 ยฅ82.3
9.85%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.27 ยฅ344
$43.20 ยฅ302
14.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.48 ยฅ122
$17.02 ยฅ119
2.70%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 ยฅ48.27
$4.77 ยฅ33.34
44.86%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$462 ยฅ3,231
$336 ยฅ2,349
37.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.9K ยฅ146.1K
$17.7K ยฅ123.4K
18.38%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.87 ยฅ342
$54.5 ยฅ381
-10.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.17 ยฅ211
$37.92 ยฅ265
-20.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ยฅ538
$69.4 ยฅ485
11.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.5 ยฅ563
$69.3 ยฅ485
16.13%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$742 ยฅ5,186
$249 ยฅ1,742
197.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$406 ยฅ2,839
$195 ยฅ1,365
107.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,654 ยฅ11.6K
$502 ยฅ3,509
229.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$901 ยฅ6,301
$370 ยฅ2,584
143.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.5K ยฅ94.0K
$2,449 ยฅ17.1K
449.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,966 ยฅ41.7K
$1,555 ยฅ10.9K
283.65%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Shenzhen
Xi'an
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 ยฅ11.1K
$982 ยฅ6,865
61.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.04
4.32
-6.48%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Shenzhen: January 13, 2026

Last update for Xi'an: January 11, 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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