Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Yantai

For one person, living is cheaper in Yantai: $631 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Yantai
Learn more

Yantai Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Yantai

🇨🇳 China

$631

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Yantai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,117 in Shenzhen versus $631 in Yantai.

Shenzhen $1,117
Yantai $631

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,714 in Shenzhen versus $932 in Yantai.

Shenzhen $1,714
Yantai $932

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,310 in Shenzhen versus $1,233 in Yantai.

Shenzhen $2,310
Yantai $1,233

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 77% more expensive than in Yantai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 18% lower, Yantai 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$2.97 ¥19.77

23.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$17.80 ¥118

65.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.17

$4.55 ¥30.29

16.04%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.35

$2.78 ¥18.50

20.86%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.53 ¥3.53

9.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.30 ¥1.98

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$1.11 ¥7.39

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$2.50 ¥16.64

-14.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.23

$2.02 ¥13.43

-23.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$1.40 ¥9.35

16.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$0.90 ¥6.02

26.67%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$1.30 ¥8.63

34.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$16.61 ¥111

24.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$3.35 ¥22.27

1.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$6.82 ¥45.38

111.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$1.36 ¥9.07

65.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$0.85 ¥5.65

90.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.02 ¥6.81

90.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$0.74 ¥4.90

91.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$0.72 ¥4.78

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$0.72 ¥4.77

77.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.59 ¥3.90

1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.58 ¥3.87

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$3.85 ¥25.59

15.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$11.66 ¥77.6

3.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.73 ¥4.87

26.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$1.02 ¥6.81

79.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.21 ¥1.39

109.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$1.37 ¥9.13

11.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.31 ¥2.07

32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.98

$6.60 ¥43.91

11.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.24 ¥8.28

6.45%

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

$19.2K ¥128.0K

$19.3K ¥128.5K

-0.44%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$17.6K ¥117.0K

2.67%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$44.96 ¥299

44.06%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$6.71 ¥44.62

47.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$6.04 ¥40.23

171.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$30.04 ¥200

62.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$7.63 ¥50.8

122.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$5.58 ¥37.16

30.47%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$361 ¥2,402

48.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$16.7K ¥110.8K

46.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$17.89 ¥119

211.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$22.58 ¥150

79.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$95.3 ¥634

-23.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$91.2 ¥607

2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,010

$227 ¥1,513

231.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$150 ¥995

214.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$359 ¥2,390

414.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,525

$152 ¥1,014

445.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.8K

$3,023 ¥20.1K

336.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$5,152 ¥34.3K

25.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

$1,062 ¥7,069

65.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.37

-0.59%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Yantai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Yantai

$150 23.7% 68.2% $321

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Yantai

$192 30.4% 23% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Yantai

$102 16.2% 13.8% $16

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Yantai

$85 13.4% 16.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Yantai

$58 9.2% 36.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Yantai

$41 6.5% 35.1% $22

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Yantai

$3.8 * 0.6% 83.9% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Shenzhen and $227 in Yantai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 66% 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 $18 in Yantai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $192 per month, with Yantai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Yantai

🕒 Local time

12:02 12:02 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

1,871,000

💱 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 Yantai 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Shenzhen
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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 Yantai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yantai wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Yantai 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 $227 in Yantai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $537 in Shenzhen versus $361 in Yantai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yantai – a meal for two runs $18 versus $29 in Shenzhen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $631 in Yantai versus $1,117 in Shenzhen, a $800 budget is realistic in Yantai but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Yantai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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