Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zaozhuang and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaozhuang: $667 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Zaozhuang
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Zaozhuang Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

Jump to prices

Zaozhuang

🇨🇳 China

$667

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $667 in Zaozhuang versus $1,117 in Shenzhen.

Zaozhuang $667
Shenzhen $1,117

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,022 in Zaozhuang versus $1,714 in Shenzhen.

Zaozhuang $1,022
Shenzhen $1,714

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,378 in Zaozhuang versus $2,310 in Shenzhen.

Zaozhuang $1,378
Shenzhen $2,310

Living in Zaozhuang costs roughly 40% less than in Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zaozhuang 51% lower, Shenzhen 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.82 ¥12.14

$3.66 ¥24.35

-50.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.81 ¥78.6

$29.39 ¥196

-59.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.26 ¥15.04

$5.28 ¥35.17

-57.20%

Cappuccino

$1.47 ¥9.80

$3.36 ¥22.34

-56.25%

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

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.58 ¥3.84

-32.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ¥0.97

$0.36 ¥2.37

-58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.91 ¥6.07

$1.48 ¥9.82

-38.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ¥11.81

$2.14 ¥14.26

-17.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ¥9.63

$1.54 ¥10.22

-5.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ¥9.44

$1.63 ¥10.84

-12.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.15

$1.14 ¥7.60

7.89%

Eggs

$1.06 ¥7.07

$1.75 ¥11.63

-39.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 ¥78.2

$20.74 ¥138

-43.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ¥21.90

$3.41 ¥22.71

-3.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ¥74.3

$14.42 ¥96.0

-22.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.76

$2.25 ¥14.96

-34.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.83

$1.62 ¥10.79

-36.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.07

$1.94 ¥12.88

-29.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.24

$1.42 ¥9.47

-23.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$1.08 ¥7.20

-45.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.65

$1.28 ¥8.52

-45.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.80

$0.60 ¥3.97

-5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.09

$0.56 ¥3.76

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 ¥24.27

$4.43 ¥29.50

-17.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.84 ¥65.5

$12.08 ¥80.4

-18.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$0.92 ¥6.15

-22.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ¥9.05

$1.83 ¥12.15

-25.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ¥1.83

$0.44 ¥2.90

-36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.73 ¥105

$18.05 ¥120

-12.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ¥10.72

$1.53 ¥10.15

5.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ¥1.65

$0.41 ¥2.75

-39.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 ¥29.81

$7.36 ¥48.98

-39.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.67

$1.32 ¥8.77

-1.52%

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

$19.7K ¥131.0K

$19.2K ¥127.9K

2.37%

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

$15.3K ¥101.7K

$18.0K ¥120.1K

-15.35%

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

$74.1 ¥493

$64.8 ¥431

14.39%

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

$6.84 ¥45.51

$9.90 ¥65.9

-30.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.08 ¥33.83

$16.40 ¥109

-69.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.72 ¥291

$48.95 ¥326

-10.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 ¥104

$16.95 ¥113

-7.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.33 ¥35.47

$7.28 ¥48.44

-26.79%

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

$215 ¥1,430

$537 ¥3,572

-59.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K ¥130.9K

$24.4K ¥162.4K

-19.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.72 ¥224

$55.7 ¥371

-39.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.01 ¥280

$40.56 ¥270

3.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥482

$73.1 ¥486

-0.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 ¥474

$93.9 ¥625

-24.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 ¥2,135

$753 ¥5,010

-57.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 ¥1,146

$471 ¥3,132

-63.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 ¥4,192

$1,847 ¥12.3K

-65.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 ¥2,113

$830 ¥5,525

-61.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,866 ¥19.1K

$13.2K ¥87.8K

-78.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,665 ¥11.1K

$6,479 ¥43.1K

-74.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

3.35

-6.57%

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

Last update for Zaozhuang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zaozhuang

$186 27.9%

Shenzhen

$249 22.3% 33.8% $63

Accommodation & Living

Zaozhuang

$172 25.9%

Shenzhen

$471 42.1% 173% $298

Clothing & Footwear

Zaozhuang

$99 14.8%

Shenzhen

$118 10.6% 20% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zaozhuang

$86 12.9%

Shenzhen

$91 8.2% 5.9% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Zaozhuang

$54 8.2%

Shenzhen

$64 5.7% 16.8% $9.1

Eating Out

Zaozhuang

$49 7.4%

Shenzhen

$101 9% 105% $52

Getting Around

Zaozhuang

$20 3%

Shenzhen

$23 2.1% 18.7% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $321 in Zaozhuang and $753 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12 in Zaozhuang vs $29 in Shenzhen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $249 per month, with Zaozhuang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zaozhuang

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

04:38 4:38 AM

Same time as Zaozhuang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,125,000

12,528,300

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Zaozhuang Shenzhen 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Zaozhuang
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

Zaozhuang vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zaozhuang wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zaozhuang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,000 in Zaozhuang and $1,675 in Shenzhen 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: $321 in Zaozhuang versus $753 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zaozhuang runs roughly 13% less than in Shenzhen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $215 in Zaozhuang versus $537 in Shenzhen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $667 in Zaozhuang versus $1,117 in Shenzhen, a $800 budget is realistic in Zaozhuang but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Zaozhuang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zaozhuang is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Shenzhen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Zaozhuang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.