Cost of Living Comparison Between Suzhou and Shenzhen Cost of Living Comparison Between Suzhou and Shenzhen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $969 in Suzhou versus $1,032 in Shenzhen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Suzhou versus $1,649 in Shenzhen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,204 in Suzhou versus $2,266 in Shenzhen.

Living in Suzhou costs roughly 6% less than in Shenzhen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Suzhou 27% lower, Shenzhen 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 ¥27.84

$3.13 ¥21.17

31.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.41 ¥280

$27.60 ¥187

50.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 ¥37.33

$4.87 ¥32.97

13.35%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ¥26.07

$3.32 ¥22.46

15.96%

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

$1.69 ¥11.41

$0.48 ¥3.27

252.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.26

$0.28 ¥1.89

178.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.23 ¥28.64

$1.21 ¥8.22

249.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 ¥36.68

$2.77 ¥18.76

95.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 ¥16.46

$1.75 ¥11.83

38.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 ¥16.17

$1.97 ¥13.33

21.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 ¥7.59

$1.18 ¥7.97

-5.08%

Eggs

$2.06 ¥13.92

$1.92 ¥12.96

7.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.81 ¥141

$12.69 ¥85.9

63.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 ¥25.29

$3.93 ¥26.61

-4.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 ¥51.4

$13.38 ¥90.6

-43.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.32

$1.87 ¥12.63

13.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.67

$1.46 ¥9.90

8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ¥10.65

$1.82 ¥12.29

-13.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.86

$1.39 ¥9.44

-5.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.63

$1.09 ¥7.40

-37.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.76

$1.42 ¥9.61

-19.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ¥6.73

$0.75 ¥5.05

32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.43

$0.57 ¥3.85

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 ¥27.67

$3.39 ¥22.94

20.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 ¥70.1

$12.61 ¥85.4

-17.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.87

$0.93 ¥6.27

-6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ¥18.58

$1.90 ¥12.87

44.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.98

$0.44 ¥2.98

-34.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.18 ¥285

$22.23 ¥150

89.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$1.69 ¥11.40

5.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$0.37 ¥2.54

-10.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.56 ¥57.9

$6.75 ¥45.65

26.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.71

$1.14 ¥7.72

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

$21.2K ¥143.5K

$22.7K ¥153.7K

-6.59%

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

$23.9K ¥162.0K

$20.7K ¥140.0K

15.73%

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

$118 ¥801

$65.3 ¥442

81.07%

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

$15.12 ¥102

$8.39 ¥56.8

80.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.46 ¥77.5

$13.08 ¥88.5

-12.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 ¥438

$50.9 ¥345

27.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 ¥129

$17.60 ¥119

8.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.80 ¥46.03

$7.08 ¥47.89

-3.95%

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

$781 ¥5,286

$467 ¥3,159

67.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ¥115.2K

$20.7K ¥140.0K

-17.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 ¥360

$48.53 ¥328

9.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.25 ¥239

$30.27 ¥205

16.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ¥489

$74.7 ¥506

-3.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 ¥635

$79.3 ¥537

18.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ¥2,727

$732 ¥4,953

-44.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 ¥1,392

$410 ¥2,777

-49.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 ¥6,541

$1,699 ¥11.5K

-43.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 ¥3,567

$910 ¥6,157

-42.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,406 ¥36.6K

$12.9K ¥87.4K

-58.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,701 ¥18.3K

$6,000 ¥40.6K

-54.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,338 ¥9,056

$1,720 ¥11.6K

-22.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.86

4.04

-4.46%

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

Last update for Suzhou: July 11, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Suzhou and $732 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 29% 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: $41.00 in Suzhou vs $28.00 in Shenzhen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $229 per month, with Shenzhen cheaper across the board.

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

Suzhou vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suzhou and Shenzhen differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($969 vs $1,032 including rent). Suzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Shenzhen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $403 in Suzhou versus $732 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Suzhou runs roughly 90% less than in Shenzhen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $781 in Suzhou versus $467 in Shenzhen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $969 in Suzhou versus $1,032 in Shenzhen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Suzhou but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Suzhou 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 Suzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.