Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Yangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Yangzhou: $686 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Yangzhou
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Yangzhou Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Yangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$686

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Yangzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,117 in Shenzhen versus $686 in Yangzhou.

Shenzhen $1,117
Yangzhou $686

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,714 in Shenzhen versus $1,102 in Yangzhou.

Shenzhen $1,714
Yangzhou $1,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,310 in Shenzhen versus $1,517 in Yangzhou.

Shenzhen $2,310
Yangzhou $1,517

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 63% more expensive than in Yangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 18% lower, Yangzhou 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$2.28 ¥15.19

60.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$11.15 ¥74.2

163.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.16

$3.08 ¥20.48

71.43%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.34

$2.50 ¥16.62

34.40%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.44 ¥2.92

31.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.21 ¥1.40

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$1.03 ¥6.86

43.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$2.01 ¥13.35

6.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.22

$1.23 ¥8.16

25.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$2.03 ¥13.50

-19.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$0.81 ¥5.40

40.74%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$1.02 ¥6.76

71.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$14.12 ¥93.9

46.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$2.68 ¥17.83

27.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$6.74 ¥44.83

113.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$0.75 ¥4.98

200.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.69 ¥11.26

-4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$0.44 ¥2.89

340.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.05 ¥6.96

35.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$0.72 ¥4.80

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$0.62 ¥4.15

106.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.78 ¥5.20

-23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$0.72 ¥4.76

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$2.98 ¥19.84

48.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$12.03 ¥80.0

0.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.89 ¥5.89

3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$1.91 ¥12.71

-4.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.35 ¥2.35

25.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$19.84 ¥132

-9.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$1.18 ¥7.86

29.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.26 ¥1.72

57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.97

$3.54 ¥23.54

107.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.16 ¥7.75

13.79%

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$19.7K ¥131.1K

-2.43%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$16.8K ¥112.0K

7.24%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$49.69 ¥331

30.35%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$8.29 ¥55.2

19.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$12.09 ¥80.4

35.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$38.28 ¥255

27.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$16.92 ¥113

0.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$6.39 ¥42.52

13.93%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$242 ¥1,613

121.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$7,398 ¥49.2K

229.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$91.4 ¥608

-39.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$32.42 ¥216

25.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$65.0 ¥432

12.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$91.1 ¥606

2.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,009

$254 ¥1,689

196.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$162 ¥1,078

190.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$609 ¥4,051

203.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,524

$388 ¥2,582

113.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.7K

$2,595 ¥17.3K

408.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$1,777 ¥11.8K

264.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

$1,260 ¥8,384

39.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.1

8.06%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Yangzhou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Yangzhou

$162 23.6% 65.6% $309

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Yangzhou

$184 26.8% 26.1% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Yangzhou

$126 18.4% 6.3% $7.5

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Yangzhou

$69 10.1% 31.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Yangzhou

$70 10.2% 23.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Yangzhou

$51 7.4% 19.6% $12

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Yangzhou

$24 3.5% 1.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Shenzhen and $254 in Yangzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 40% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29 in Shenzhen vs $11 in Yangzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $184 per month, with Yangzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Yangzhou

🕒 Local time

22:10 10:10 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

4,559,797

💱 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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Between locations

Shenzhen Yangzhou 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Yangzhou

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 Yangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yangzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Yangzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 40% 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 $254 in Yangzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shenzhen runs roughly 9% less than in Yangzhou. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $537 in Shenzhen versus $242 in Yangzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $686 in Yangzhou versus $1,117 in Shenzhen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yangzhou but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Yangzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yangzhou 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 – Yangzhou wins on affordability, Shenzhen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.