Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Xi'an and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Xi’an: $755 a month against $1,096 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Xi'an
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Xi'an Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Xi'an

🇨🇳 China

$755

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,096

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Xi'an 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 Xi'an and in Shenzhen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $755 in Xi’an versus $1,096 in Shenzhen.

Xi'an $755
Shenzhen $1,096

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,173 in Xi’an versus $1,708 in Shenzhen.

Xi'an $1,173
Shenzhen $1,708

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,592 in Xi’an versus $2,320 in Shenzhen.

Xi'an $1,592
Shenzhen $2,320

Living in Xi’an costs roughly 31% less than in Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Xi’an 44% lower, Shenzhen 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.47

$3.79 ¥25.22

-22.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.34 ¥122

$30.66 ¥204

-40.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ¥30.32

$5.15 ¥34.28

-11.65%

Cappuccino

$2.10 ¥13.96

$3.36 ¥22.40

-37.50%

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

$0.42 ¥2.78

$0.58 ¥3.85

-27.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.33 ¥2.17

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.76

$1.49 ¥9.92

-1.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ¥9.90

$2.16 ¥14.38

-31.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.72

$1.62 ¥10.79

-9.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥11.53

$1.56 ¥10.38

10.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.77

$1.14 ¥7.58

-23.68%

Eggs

$1.47 ¥9.76

$1.65 ¥11.01

-10.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.43 ¥76.1

$21.13 ¥141

-45.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.46 ¥29.74

$3.53 ¥23.50

26.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥70.9

$14.59 ¥97.2

-27.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.83

$2.34 ¥15.60

-30.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.71

$1.62 ¥10.78

-28.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.58

$1.95 ¥13.01

-41.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.52 ¥10.14

-13.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.27

$1.09 ¥7.25

-41.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$1.29 ¥8.61

-38.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ¥4.65

$0.62 ¥4.12

12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.60 ¥3.97

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ¥23.07

$4.59 ¥30.59

-24.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 ¥74.1

$12.08 ¥80.4

-7.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥5.38

$0.95 ¥6.36

-14.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥11.61

$1.69 ¥11.24

2.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.43 ¥2.88

-27.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.59 ¥164

$17.78 ¥118

38.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.54 ¥10.26

-18.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.90

$0.43 ¥2.84

-32.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ¥23.65

$7.07 ¥47.07

-49.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.11

$1.32 ¥8.81

3.79%

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$19.3K ¥128.8K

-0.76%

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

$17.5K ¥116.6K

$18.4K ¥122.2K

-4.63%

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

$88.4 ¥589

$63.3 ¥422

39.68%

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

$6.47 ¥43.12

$9.87 ¥65.7

-34.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.74 ¥71.5

$16.37 ¥109

-34.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.85 ¥199

$48.08 ¥320

-37.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.42 ¥143

$16.89 ¥112

26.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.70 ¥38.00

$7.63 ¥50.8

-25.29%

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

$908 ¥6,045

$540 ¥3,596

68.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ¥148.8K

$40.3K ¥268.3K

-44.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.32 ¥262

$56.1 ¥374

-29.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.62 ¥251

$40.63 ¥271

-7.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 ¥508

$71.7 ¥478

6.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ¥725

$81.5 ¥543

33.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 ¥1,932

$764 ¥5,090

-62.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 ¥1,250

$454 ¥3,023

-58.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 ¥4,760

$1,793 ¥11.9K

-60.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ¥2,404

$839 ¥5,588

-56.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,285 ¥15.2K

$13.5K ¥89.9K

-83.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,598 ¥10.6K

$6,628 ¥44.1K

-75.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,262 ¥8,402

$1,857 ¥12.4K

-32.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.36

-0.30%

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

Last update for Xi'an: November 3, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Xi'an

$199 26.3%

Shenzhen

$252 23% 27.1% $54

Accommodation & Living

Xi'an

$188 24.9%

Shenzhen

$454 41.4% 142% $266

Clothing & Footwear

Xi'an

$118 15.6%

Shenzhen

$112 10.3% 4.6% $5.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Xi'an

$106 14%

Shenzhen

$90 8.2% 15.2% $16

Eating Out

Xi'an

$75 10%

Shenzhen

$101 9.3% 34.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Xi'an

$41 5.5%

Shenzhen

$63 5.8% 53.5% $22

Getting Around

Xi'an

$29 3.8%

Shenzhen

$23 2.1% 18.7% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $290 in Xi’an and $764 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 47% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $18 in Xi’an vs $31 in Shenzhen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $252 per month, with Xi’an cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Xi'an

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

14:55 2:55 PM

Same time as Xi'an

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,183,280

12,528,300

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Xi'an Shenzhen 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Xi'an
Shenzhen

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

Xi'an vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xi’an wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Xi’an the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Xi’an. 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: $290 in Xi’an versus $764 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shenzhen runs roughly 28% less than in Xi’an. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $908 in Xi’an versus $540 in Shenzhen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

It comes down to priorities – Xi’an wins on affordability, Shenzhen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.