Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Zaozhuang

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaozhuang: $683 a month against $1,096 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Zaozhuang
Learn more

Zaozhuang Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,096

/mo nomad

Zaozhuang

🇨🇳 China

$683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Zaozhuang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,096 in Shenzhen versus $683 in Zaozhuang.

Shenzhen $1,096
Zaozhuang $683

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,708 in Shenzhen versus $1,058 in Zaozhuang.

Shenzhen $1,708
Zaozhuang $1,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,320 in Shenzhen versus $1,433 in Zaozhuang.

Shenzhen $2,320
Zaozhuang $1,433

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 60% more expensive than in Zaozhuang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 19% lower, Zaozhuang 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ¥25.21

$1.75 ¥11.65

116.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.66 ¥204

$12.02 ¥80.1

155.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥34.27

$2.24 ¥14.93

129.91%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.40

$1.46 ¥9.75

130.14%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.38 ¥2.55

52.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.16

$0.14 ¥0.96

135.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 ¥9.91

$0.88 ¥5.84

69.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ¥14.38

$1.76 ¥11.73

22.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.50 ¥9.99

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ¥10.38

$1.47 ¥9.79

6.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.58

$1.24 ¥8.22

-8.06%

Eggs

$1.65 ¥11.01

$1.12 ¥7.43

47.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.13 ¥141

$11.93 ¥79.4

77.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.53 ¥23.49

$3.37 ¥22.46

4.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.59 ¥97.2

$11.06 ¥73.6

31.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.60

$1.42 ¥9.48

64.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.78

$1.03 ¥6.84

57.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.00

$1.44 ¥9.56

35.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.14

$1.10 ¥7.34

38.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.25

$0.58 ¥3.86

87.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.68 ¥4.55

89.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$0.56 ¥3.76

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.67 ¥4.47

-10.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 ¥30.58

$3.71 ¥24.74

23.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$10.02 ¥66.7

20.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥6.35

$0.66 ¥4.39

43.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.24

$1.36 ¥9.06

24.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.31 ¥2.10

38.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.78 ¥118

$18.05 ¥120

-1.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ¥10.26

$1.56 ¥10.36

-1.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.84

$0.27 ¥1.80

59.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.07 ¥47.05

$4.63 ¥30.81

52.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.80

$1.31 ¥8.70

0.76%

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

$19.3K ¥128.8K

$19.6K ¥130.7K

-1.43%

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

$18.4K ¥122.2K

$14.8K ¥98.6K

23.98%

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

$63.3 ¥421

$72.6 ¥483

-12.79%

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

$9.87 ¥65.7

$6.62 ¥44.05

49.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.37 ¥109

$5.16 ¥34.39

217.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.08 ¥320

$42.49 ¥283

13.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.89 ¥112

$14.73 ¥98.1

14.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.63 ¥50.8

$5.10 ¥33.96

49.61%

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

$540 ¥3,595

$213 ¥1,419

153.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.3K ¥268.2K

$20.0K ¥132.9K

101.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 ¥373

$33.32 ¥222

68.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.63 ¥271

$42.17 ¥281

-3.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 ¥477

$72.0 ¥479

-0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 ¥543

$69.6 ¥464

17.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 ¥5,089

$286 ¥1,902

167.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ¥3,022

$189 ¥1,257

140.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 ¥11.9K

$615 ¥4,094

191.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$839 ¥5,587

$371 ¥2,467

126.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥89.9K

$3,243 ¥21.6K

316.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,628 ¥44.1K

$1,955 ¥13.0K

238.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,857 ¥12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.13

7.35%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: November 1, 2026

Last update for Zaozhuang: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$454 41.4%

Zaozhuang

$189 27.7% 58.4% $265

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$252 23%

Zaozhuang

$189 27.7% 25.1% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$112 10.3%

Zaozhuang

$98 14.3% 13.1% $15

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9.3%

Zaozhuang

$48 7.1% 52.4% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$90 8.2%

Zaozhuang

$84 12.4% 5.8% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$63 5.8%

Zaozhuang

$53 7.7% 16.8% $11

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Zaozhuang

$22 3.3% 4.2% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $764 in Shenzhen and $286 in Zaozhuang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31 in Shenzhen vs $12 in Zaozhuang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $189 per month, with Zaozhuang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Zaozhuang

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

2,125,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shenzhen Zaozhuang 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
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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 Zaozhuang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zaozhuang wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zaozhuang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,644 in Shenzhen and $1,025 in Zaozhuang 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: $764 in Shenzhen versus $286 in Zaozhuang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $540 in Shenzhen versus $213 in Zaozhuang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zaozhuang – a meal for two runs $12 versus $31 in Shenzhen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $683 in Zaozhuang versus $1,096 in Shenzhen, a $800 budget is realistic in Zaozhuang but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Zaozhuang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zaozhuang 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.