Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhuhai and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhuhai: $784 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Zhuhai
Learn more

Zhuhai Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
Learn more

Shenzhen Living Index

Jump to prices

Zhuhai

🇨🇳 China

$784

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $784 in Zhuhai versus $1,117 in Shenzhen.

Zhuhai $784
Shenzhen $1,117

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,305 in Zhuhai versus $1,714 in Shenzhen.

Zhuhai $1,305
Shenzhen $1,714

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,825 in Zhuhai versus $2,310 in Shenzhen.

Zhuhai $1,825
Shenzhen $2,310

Living in Zhuhai costs roughly 30% less than in Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zhuhai 42% lower, Shenzhen 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.64 ¥17.58

$3.66 ¥24.34

-27.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.28 ¥201

$29.39 ¥196

3.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 ¥34.70

$5.28 ¥35.15

-1.14%

Cappuccino

$3.15 ¥20.94

$3.36 ¥22.33

-6.25%

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

$0.50 ¥3.33

$0.58 ¥3.84

-13.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.17

$0.36 ¥2.37

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.80

$1.48 ¥9.82

-20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥14.97

$2.14 ¥14.25

5.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥10.63

$1.54 ¥10.22

3.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥8.66

$1.63 ¥10.84

-20.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.52

$1.14 ¥7.60

-0.88%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.22

$1.75 ¥11.63

-3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 ¥28.78

$20.74 ¥138

-79.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.21 ¥14.69

$3.41 ¥22.70

-35.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.79 ¥25.20

$14.42 ¥95.9

-73.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.36

$2.25 ¥14.96

-44.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.09

$1.62 ¥10.78

-61.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.44 ¥2.91

$1.94 ¥12.88

-77.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$1.42 ¥9.46

4.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.87

$1.08 ¥7.20

-32.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ¥3.11

$1.28 ¥8.52

-63.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 ¥1.90

$0.60 ¥3.97

-51.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.89

$0.56 ¥3.75

-23.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 ¥20.48

$4.43 ¥29.48

-30.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.71 ¥24.65

$12.08 ¥80.4

-69.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.91

$0.92 ¥6.14

-35.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.51

$1.83 ¥12.14

-5.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 ¥0.88

$0.44 ¥2.90

-70.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.75 ¥58.2

$18.05 ¥120

-51.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.69

$1.53 ¥10.15

-4.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.51

$0.41 ¥2.74

-7.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.32 ¥48.66

$7.36 ¥48.95

-0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.53

$1.32 ¥8.77

-3.03%

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

$15.6K ¥103.9K

$19.2K ¥127.9K

-18.72%

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

$13.6K ¥90.1K

$18.0K ¥120.0K

-24.91%

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

$57.5 ¥382

$64.8 ¥431

-11.30%

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

$10.13 ¥67.4

$9.90 ¥65.8

2.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.37 ¥109

$16.40 ¥109

-0.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.9 ¥538

$48.95 ¥326

65.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 ¥205

$16.95 ¥113

82.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 ¥50.0

$7.28 ¥48.42

3.30%

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

$540 ¥3,592

$537 ¥3,570

0.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

$24.4K ¥162.3K

0.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.85 ¥199

$55.7 ¥371

-46.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 ¥263

$40.56 ¥270

-2.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ¥481

$73.1 ¥486

-1.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 ¥612

$93.9 ¥624

-2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 ¥2,826

$753 ¥5,007

-43.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,864

$471 ¥3,130

-40.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 ¥6,034

$1,847 ¥12.3K

-50.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 ¥4,331

$830 ¥5,522

-21.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,496 ¥29.9K

$13.2K ¥87.7K

-65.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,836 ¥18.9K

$6,479 ¥43.1K

-56.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ¥7,213

$1,763 ¥11.7K

-38.48%

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 Zhuhai: October 24, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zhuhai

$280 35.7%

Shenzhen

$471 42.1% 67.9% $190

Groceries & Markets

Zhuhai

$118 15.1%

Shenzhen

$249 22.3% 111% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Zhuhai

$105 13.4%

Shenzhen

$118 10.6% 12.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Zhuhai

$96 12.2%

Shenzhen

$64 5.7% 33.8% $32

Eating Out

Zhuhai

$88 11.3%

Shenzhen

$101 9% 14.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhuhai

$84 10.7%

Shenzhen

$91 8.2% 8.5% $7.1

Getting Around

Zhuhai

$13 1.6%

Shenzhen

$23 2.1% 85.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Zhuhai and $753 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 63% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $30 in Zhuhai vs $29 in Shenzhen. Groceries flip the comparison at $118 vs $249, with Zhuhai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhuhai

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

18:23 6:23 PM

Same time as Zhuhai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,207,090

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zhuhai Shenzhen 58 km

From you

Zhuhai
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

Zhuhai vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhuhai wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Shenzhen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zhuhai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Zhuhai. 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: $425 in Zhuhai versus $753 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zhuhai runs roughly 52% less than in Shenzhen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $540 in Zhuhai versus $537 in Shenzhen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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