Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wenzhou and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Wenzhou: $628 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Wenzhou
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Wenzhou Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Wenzhou

🇨🇳 China

$628

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wenzhou and in Shenzhen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wenzhou and in Shenzhen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $628 in Wenzhou versus $1,138 in Shenzhen.

Wenzhou $628
Shenzhen $1,138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,059 in Wenzhou versus $1,750 in Shenzhen.

Wenzhou $1,059
Shenzhen $1,750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,489 in Wenzhou versus $2,362 in Shenzhen.

Wenzhou $1,489
Shenzhen $2,362

Living in Wenzhou costs roughly 45% less than in Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Wenzhou 53% lower, Shenzhen 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.01 ¥20.10

$3.67 ¥24.53

-17.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.38 ¥203

$29.43 ¥197

3.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 ¥51.2

$5.28 ¥35.28

45.08%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ¥17.75

$3.27 ¥21.83

-18.96%

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

$0.52 ¥3.50

$0.54 ¥3.63

-3.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.33 ¥2.20

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ¥5.73

$1.53 ¥10.23

-43.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ¥20.28

$2.15 ¥14.38

40.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.62 ¥10.85

28.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.62 ¥10.85

20.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.78

$1.09 ¥7.27

20.18%

Eggs

$1.98 ¥13.21

$1.71 ¥11.44

15.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.61 ¥50.9

$21.39 ¥143

-64.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.18 ¥14.61

$3.45 ¥23.08

-36.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.49 ¥63.4

$14.25 ¥95.3

-33.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.74

$2.34 ¥15.64

-18.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.95

$1.58 ¥10.55

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.31

$1.95 ¥13.03

-13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ¥7.46

$1.47 ¥9.85

-23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$1.08 ¥7.21

-43.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.81

$1.25 ¥8.35

-42.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ¥3.12

$0.59 ¥3.97

-20.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ¥22.57

$4.41 ¥29.47

-23.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 ¥88.5

$11.73 ¥78.4

12.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ¥8.16

$0.98 ¥6.57

24.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 ¥8.21

$1.75 ¥11.69

-29.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.63 ¥4.20

-53.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$1.45 ¥9.71

15.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.39 ¥2.60

-10.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 ¥51.8

$7.02 ¥46.93

10.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.46

$1.34 ¥8.97

-5.97%

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

$19.5K ¥130.4K

$19.4K ¥129.9K

0.40%

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

$15.5K ¥103.9K

$18.1K ¥121.4K

-14.36%

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

$29.91 ¥200

$65.1 ¥435

-54.06%

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

$6.60 ¥44.11

$10.25 ¥68.5

-35.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.89 ¥59.4

$16.17 ¥108

-45.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.62 ¥91.1

$48.78 ¥326

-72.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.79 ¥179

$17.24 ¥115

55.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.8

$7.51 ¥50.2

1.20%

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

$1,247 ¥8,340

$538 ¥3,596

131.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,703 ¥64.9K

$24.3K ¥162.2K

-59.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.55 ¥291

$54.9 ¥367

-20.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.78 ¥126

$40.04 ¥268

-53.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 ¥645

$72.4 ¥484

33.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.71 ¥299

$93.4 ¥624

-52.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,603

$768 ¥5,135

-68.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ¥1,135

$486 ¥3,248

-65.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 ¥4,228

$1,982 ¥13.3K

-68.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ¥2,428

$869 ¥5,813

-58.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,065 ¥27.2K

$13.8K ¥92.0K

-70.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,598 ¥17.4K

$6,098 ¥40.8K

-57.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$868 ¥5,803

$1,736 ¥11.6K

-50.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.35

3.28%

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

Last update for Wenzhou: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Wenzhou

$196 31.1%

Shenzhen

$251 22.1% 28.5% $56

Accommodation & Living

Wenzhou

$170 27%

Shenzhen

$486 42.7% 186% $316

Eating Out

Wenzhou

$93 14.7%

Shenzhen

$100 8.8% 7.9% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Wenzhou

$92 14.6%

Shenzhen

$117 10.3% 28.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wenzhou

$45 7.2%

Shenzhen

$92 8% 102% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Wenzhou

$29 4.6%

Shenzhen

$64 5.6% 121% $35

Getting Around

Wenzhou

$4.6 * 0.7%

Shenzhen

$28 2.5% 516% $24

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 $240 in Wenzhou and $768 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 100% 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: $30.00 in Wenzhou vs $29.00 in Shenzhen. Groceries flip the comparison at $196 vs $251, with Wenzhou cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Wenzhou

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

Same time as Wenzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,300,000

12,528,300

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Wenzhou Shenzhen 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Wenzhou
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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

Wenzhou vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wenzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Wenzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 100% 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: $240 in Wenzhou versus $768 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,247 in Wenzhou versus $538 in Shenzhen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wenzhou – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $29.00 in Shenzhen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $628 in Wenzhou versus $1,138 in Shenzhen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Wenzhou but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Wenzhou 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 Wenzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.