Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongshan and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $695 a month against $1,131 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Zhongshan
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Zhongshan Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
Learn more

Shenzhen Living Index

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Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$695

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $695 in Zhongshan versus $1,131 in Shenzhen.

Zhongshan $695
Shenzhen $1,131

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,110 in Zhongshan versus $1,741 in Shenzhen.

Zhongshan $1,110
Shenzhen $1,741

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,525 in Zhongshan versus $2,352 in Shenzhen.

Zhongshan $1,525
Shenzhen $2,352

Living in Zhongshan costs roughly 39% less than in Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zhongshan 49% lower, Shenzhen 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.01 ¥20.14

$3.73 ¥24.93

-19.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.23 ¥162

$29.92 ¥200

-19.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.45 ¥29.76

$5.36 ¥35.83

-16.98%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ¥18.91

$3.39 ¥22.66

-16.52%

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

$0.47 ¥3.11

$0.55 ¥3.67

-14.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.35 ¥2.36

-17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.13

$1.47 ¥9.84

-47.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.05

$2.17 ¥14.50

-17.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ¥10.26

$1.59 ¥10.64

-3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥10.99

$1.63 ¥10.88

0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$1.14 ¥7.59

-40.35%

Eggs

$1.24 ¥8.29

$1.78 ¥11.89

-30.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.87 ¥140

$21.25 ¥142

-1.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.80 ¥18.72

$3.45 ¥23.10

-18.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 ¥90.5

$14.69 ¥98.2

-7.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ¥14.34

$2.23 ¥14.94

-4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$1.61 ¥10.73

-32.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$1.89 ¥12.67

-64.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.76

$1.41 ¥9.41

3.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$1.04 ¥6.95

-44.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$1.25 ¥8.36

-42.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$0.56 ¥3.76

-23.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.56

$0.61 ¥4.05

-13.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ¥19.58

$4.38 ¥29.30

-33.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥78.9

$11.72 ¥78.4

0.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.62

$0.98 ¥6.53

-29.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.12

$1.83 ¥12.21

-1.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.57 ¥3.82

-49.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.11 ¥101

$22.57 ¥151

-33.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.68

$1.52 ¥10.15

-4.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.38 ¥2.55

7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.01 ¥46.88

$6.99 ¥46.71

0.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.70

$1.35 ¥9.02

-3.70%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$19.8K ¥132.4K

-0.86%

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

$18.2K ¥121.6K

$17.9K ¥119.8K

1.56%

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

$40.99 ¥274

$62.8 ¥420

-34.69%

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

$10.15 ¥67.9

$10.25 ¥68.5

-0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.59 ¥84.2

$16.36 ¥109

-23.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 ¥448

$49.52 ¥331

35.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.62 ¥50.9

$17.32 ¥116

-56.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 ¥38.88

$7.64 ¥51.1

-23.95%

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

$317 ¥2,117

$526 ¥3,519

-39.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K ¥89.4K

$24.5K ¥164.1K

-45.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.42 ¥324

$55.1 ¥369

-12.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 ¥265

$39.99 ¥267

-0.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 ¥401

$72.3 ¥484

-17.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.5 ¥505

$92.7 ¥620

-18.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 ¥1,407

$771 ¥5,158

-72.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 ¥834

$478 ¥3,195

-73.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 ¥2,517

$1,984 ¥13.3K

-81.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 ¥1,453

$852 ¥5,696

-74.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,531 ¥16.9K

$13.6K ¥91.2K

-81.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 ¥10.1K

$6,013 ¥40.2K

-74.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$956 ¥6,391

$1,751 ¥11.7K

-45.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

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

Last update for Zhongshan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhongshan

$226 32.5%

Shenzhen

$251 22.2% 11.3% $26

Accommodation & Living

Zhongshan

$125 17.9%

Shenzhen

$478 42.3% 283% $353

Clothing & Footwear

Zhongshan

$101 14.5%

Shenzhen

$117 10.4% 16.4% $17

Eating Out

Zhongshan

$82 11.8%

Shenzhen

$102 9% 24.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Zhongshan

$79 11.3%

Shenzhen

$65 5.7% 17.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhongshan

$64 9.2%

Shenzhen

$89 7.9% 40.2% $26

Getting Around

Zhongshan

$20 2.8%

Shenzhen

$28 2.5% 43.1% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $210 in Zhongshan and $771 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 83% 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: $24.00 in Zhongshan vs $30.00 in Shenzhen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $251 per month, with Zhongshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

Same time as Zhongshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,209,600

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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Zhongshan vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongshan wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhongshan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 83% 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: $210 in Zhongshan versus $771 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zhongshan runs roughly 49% less than in Shenzhen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $317 in Zhongshan versus $526 in Shenzhen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $695 in Zhongshan versus $1,131 in Shenzhen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhongshan but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.