Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Yancheng

For one person, living is cheaper in Yancheng: $668 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
Learn more

Shenzhen Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Yancheng
Learn more

Yancheng Living Index

Jump to prices

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Yancheng

🇨🇳 China

$668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Yancheng

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Shenzhen versus $668 in Yancheng.

Shenzhen $1,138
Yancheng $668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Shenzhen versus $1,126 in Yancheng.

Shenzhen $1,750
Yancheng $1,126

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,362 in Shenzhen versus $1,584 in Yancheng.

Shenzhen $2,362
Yancheng $1,584

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 70% more expensive than in Yancheng, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 16% lower, Yancheng 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$1.98 ¥13.25

85.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$23.75 ¥159

23.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$2.99 ¥19.98

76.59%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$3.14 ¥21.01

4.14%

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

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.39 ¥2.59

38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.21 ¥1.40

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$1.47 ¥9.82

4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$3.04 ¥20.31

-29.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.81 ¥12.12

-10.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$2.15 ¥14.36

-24.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$1.11 ¥7.42

-1.80%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.86 ¥12.41

-8.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$13.40 ¥89.6

59.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$3.45 ¥23.06

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$11.07 ¥74.0

28.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$2.65 ¥17.72

-11.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.33 ¥8.86

18.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.61 ¥10.76

21.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.17 ¥7.82

25.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$0.64 ¥4.31

68.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.80 ¥5.35

56.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.64 ¥4.28

-7.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.59 ¥3.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$5.37 ¥35.87

-17.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$11.89 ¥79.5

-1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.93 ¥6.21

5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$2.23 ¥14.88

-21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.26 ¥1.74

142.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$15.56 ¥104

43.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.52 ¥10.16

-4.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.42 ¥2.83

-7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$9.11 ¥60.9

-22.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.30 ¥8.72

3.08%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

-0.04%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$19.2K ¥128.7K

-5.71%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$37.24 ¥249

74.81%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$11.70 ¥78.2

-12.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$11.30 ¥75.5

43.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$39.38 ¥263

23.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$14.34 ¥95.9

20.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$6.07 ¥40.60

23.72%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$445 ¥2,978

20.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$16.1K ¥107.9K

50.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$34.66 ¥232

58.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$21.51 ¥144

86.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$63.3 ¥423

14.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$44.95 ¥301

107.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$294 ¥1,968

160.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$162 ¥1,084

199.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$680 ¥4,548

191.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$407 ¥2,724

113.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$3,545 ¥23.7K

288.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$1,962 ¥13.1K

210.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

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 11, 2026

Last update for Yancheng: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Yancheng

$162 24.3% 66.6% $324

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Yancheng

$222 33.2% 11.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Yancheng

$74 11.1% 36.9% $43

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Yancheng

$78 11.7% 21.5% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Yancheng

$60 9% 34.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Yancheng

$52 7.7% 19.2% $12

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Yancheng

$20 3% 28.2% $8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Shenzhen and $294 in Yancheng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29.00 in Shenzhen vs $24.00 in Yancheng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $222 per month, with Yancheng cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Yancheng

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

7,260,240

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shenzhen Yancheng 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Yancheng

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 Yancheng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yancheng wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Yancheng the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,706 in Shenzhen and $1,002 in Yancheng 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 $294 in Yancheng. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yancheng runs roughly 43% 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 $445 in Yancheng. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $668 in Yancheng versus $1,138 in Shenzhen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Yancheng but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Yancheng 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.

Expats usually find Yancheng gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.