Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Zhangjiagang

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangjiagang: $740 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Zhangjiagang
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Zhangjiagang Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Zhangjiagang

🇨🇳 China

$740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Zhangjiagang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Shenzhen versus $740 in Zhangjiagang.

Shenzhen $1,138
Zhangjiagang $740

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Shenzhen versus $1,149 in Zhangjiagang.

Shenzhen $1,750
Zhangjiagang $1,149

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,362 in Shenzhen versus $1,558 in Zhangjiagang.

Shenzhen $2,362
Zhangjiagang $1,558

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 54% more expensive than in Zhangjiagang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 16% lower, Zhangjiagang 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$3.80 ¥25.42

-3.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$22.20 ¥148

32.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$4.98 ¥33.31

6.02%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$3.04 ¥20.32

7.57%

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

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.49 ¥3.29

10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.27 ¥1.81

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$1.51 ¥10.09

1.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$2.22 ¥14.84

-3.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$2.08 ¥13.89

-22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$2.09 ¥13.95

-22.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$0.84 ¥5.64

29.76%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.36 ¥9.09

25.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$10.64 ¥71.1

101.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$2.93 ¥19.59

17.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$9.12 ¥61.0

56.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$2.04 ¥13.65

14.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.29 ¥8.64

22.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$1.80 ¥12.03

8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.11 ¥7.39

32.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$0.90 ¥5.99

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.90 ¥6.03

38.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.87 ¥5.80

-32.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.53 ¥3.51

11.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$3.64 ¥24.37

21.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$13.44 ¥89.9

-12.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.94 ¥6.27

4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$1.56 ¥10.44

12.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.30 ¥1.99

110.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$17.58 ¥118

26.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.76 ¥11.78

-17.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$8.76 ¥58.6

-19.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.37 ¥9.14

-2.19%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$19.2K ¥128.2K

1.31%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$16.9K ¥112.7K

7.68%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$55.8 ¥373

16.77%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$7.76 ¥51.9

32.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$7.32 ¥48.97

120.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$36.15 ¥242

34.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$16.01 ¥107

7.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$6.07 ¥40.60

23.72%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$418 ¥2,793

28.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$22.3K ¥149.4K

8.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$42.99 ¥287

27.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$34.04 ¥228

17.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$65.7 ¥439

10.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$88.5 ¥591

5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$280 ¥1,869

174.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$194 ¥1,295

150.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$719 ¥4,808

175.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$324 ¥2,167

168.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$3,266 ¥21.8K

321.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$1,685 ¥11.3K

261.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.42

-2.05%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiagang: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Zhangjiagang

$194 26.2% 60.1% $292

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Zhangjiagang

$204 27.6% 18.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Zhangjiagang

$104 14.1% 11.4% $13

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Zhangjiagang

$97 13.1% 2.9% $2.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Zhangjiagang

$71 9.6% 22.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Zhangjiagang

$48 6.5% 24.3% $16

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Zhangjiagang

$22 3% 20.3% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Shenzhen and $280 in Zhangjiagang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29.00 in Shenzhen vs $22.00 in Zhangjiagang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $204 per month, with Zhangjiagang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Zhangjiagang

🕒 Local time

12:27 12:27 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

1,432,044

💱 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

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Shenzhen Zhangjiagang 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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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 Zhangjiagang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhangjiagang wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhangjiagang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,706 in Shenzhen and $1,110 in Zhangjiagang 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 $280 in Zhangjiagang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zhangjiagang runs roughly 27% 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 $418 in Zhangjiagang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $740 in Zhangjiagang versus $1,138 in Shenzhen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhangjiagang but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.