Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Xuzhou and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Xuzhou: $598 a month against $1,131 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Xuzhou
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Xuzhou Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Xuzhou

🇨🇳 China

$598

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $598 in Xuzhou versus $1,131 in Shenzhen.

Xuzhou $598
Shenzhen $1,131

Estimated couple costs with rent: $977 in Xuzhou versus $1,741 in Shenzhen.

Xuzhou $977
Shenzhen $1,741

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,356 in Xuzhou versus $2,352 in Shenzhen.

Xuzhou $1,356
Shenzhen $2,352

Living in Xuzhou costs roughly 47% less than in Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Xuzhou 56% lower, Shenzhen 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 ¥15.37

$3.73 ¥24.93

-38.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.27 ¥95.4

$29.92 ¥200

-52.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 ¥32.87

$5.36 ¥35.83

-8.21%

Cappuccino

$2.31 ¥15.47

$3.39 ¥22.66

-31.86%

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

$0.49 ¥3.31

$0.55 ¥3.67

-10.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.65

$0.35 ¥2.36

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 ¥10.06

$1.47 ¥9.84

2.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ¥9.73

$2.17 ¥14.50

-32.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 ¥13.17

$1.59 ¥10.64

23.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 ¥14.52

$1.63 ¥10.88

33.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$1.14 ¥7.59

-49.12%

Eggs

$1.19 ¥7.98

$1.78 ¥11.89

-33.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.64 ¥71.1

$21.25 ¥142

-49.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.70

$3.45 ¥23.10

-57.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.04 ¥53.8

$14.69 ¥98.2

-45.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.66

$2.23 ¥14.94

-15.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.13

$1.61 ¥10.73

-33.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$1.89 ¥12.67

-50.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$1.41 ¥9.41

-29.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ¥3.38

$1.04 ¥6.95

-50.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.29

$1.25 ¥8.36

-48.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ¥4.69

$0.56 ¥3.76

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.61 ¥4.05

-32.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ¥20.47

$4.38 ¥29.30

-30.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 ¥39.41

$11.72 ¥78.4

-49.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ¥2.93

$0.98 ¥6.53

-55.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$1.83 ¥12.21

-49.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.57 ¥3.82

-49.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.23 ¥122

$22.57 ¥151

-19.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.78

$1.52 ¥10.15

-3.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$0.38 ¥2.55

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ¥60.7

$6.99 ¥46.71

29.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥8.10

$1.35 ¥9.02

-10.37%

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

$18.1K ¥121.0K

$19.8K ¥132.4K

-8.57%

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

$15.2K ¥101.5K

$17.9K ¥119.8K

-15.28%

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

$45.91 ¥307

$62.8 ¥420

-26.85%

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

$7.84 ¥52.4

$10.25 ¥68.5

-23.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.64 ¥24.37

$16.36 ¥109

-77.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.99 ¥274

$49.52 ¥331

-17.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.73 ¥98.5

$17.32 ¥116

-14.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.33 ¥35.65

$7.64 ¥51.1

-30.24%

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

$412 ¥2,756

$526 ¥3,519

-21.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K ¥150.0K

$24.5K ¥164.1K

-8.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.56 ¥198

$55.1 ¥369

-46.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.62 ¥151

$39.99 ¥267

-43.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.35 ¥297

$72.3 ¥484

-38.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 ¥345

$92.7 ¥620

-44.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$224 ¥1,501

$771 ¥5,158

-70.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ¥1,090

$478 ¥3,195

-65.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ¥2,961

$1,984 ¥13.3K

-77.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 ¥2,557

$852 ¥5,696

-55.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,142 ¥14.3K

$13.6K ¥91.2K

-84.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,692 ¥11.3K

$6,013 ¥40.2K

-71.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$945 ¥6,316

$1,751 ¥11.7K

-46.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

3.35

2.09%

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

Last update for Xuzhou: October 18, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Xuzhou

$163 27.2%

Shenzhen

$478 42.3% 193% $315

Groceries & Markets

Xuzhou

$163 27.2%

Shenzhen

$251 22.2% 54.6% $89

Eating Out

Xuzhou

$74 12.4%

Shenzhen

$102 9% 37.1% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Xuzhou

$67 11.1%

Shenzhen

$117 10.4% 75.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Xuzhou

$57 9.6%

Shenzhen

$89 7.9% 55.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Xuzhou

$52 8.6%

Shenzhen

$65 5.7% 25.4% $13

Getting Around

Xuzhou

$23 3.8%

Shenzhen

$28 2.5% 24.4% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $224 in Xuzhou and $771 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 85% 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: $14.00 in Xuzhou vs $30.00 in Shenzhen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $251 per month, with Xuzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Xuzhou

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

Same time as Xuzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,083,790

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

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Xuzhou Shenzhen 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Xuzhou
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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

Xuzhou vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xuzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Xuzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 85% 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: $224 in Xuzhou versus $771 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Xuzhou runs roughly 24% less than in Shenzhen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $412 in Xuzhou versus $526 in Shenzhen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $598 in Xuzhou versus $1,131 in Shenzhen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Xuzhou but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Xuzhou 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 Xuzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.