Last update: Oct 2026 China 2.2M

Cost of Living in Zhuhai

For one person, living costs in Zhuhai are estimated at $787 a month, including rent and utilities, which take more than a third of the total. Other living expenses average about $15 a day.

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zhuhai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zhuhai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Living costs for one person come to about $787 monthly including rent, or $450 excluding housing.

$787 /mo

Estimated monthly costs for a couple: $1,310 with rent, or $785 without housing.

$1,310 /mo

Monthly costs for a family of three come to about $1,833 including rent, or $1,121 for daily expenses alone.

$1,833 /mo

Zhuhai sits 35–42% below the global median across household types. Within Asia, costs are 26% below average – relatively affordable for the region.

Currency
Do you live in Zhuhai? Add cost details
🍽 Eating Out
Cost
Range
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.74 ¥18.31
$1.22 ¥8.17
$6.10 ¥40.70
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.77 ¥199
$22.33 ¥149
$79.9 ¥534
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.28 ¥35.26
$4.52 ¥30.21
$6.04 ¥40.32
Cappuccino
$3.23 ¥21.58
$1.51 ¥10.11
$5.32 ¥35.50
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ¥3.16
$0.43 ¥2.90
$0.72 ¥4.83
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35 ¥2.36
$0.23 ¥1.53
$0.62 ¥4.17
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.21 ¥8.11
$0.76 ¥5.07
$5.69 ¥37.96
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ¥14.46
$1.47 ¥9.79
$3.68 ¥24.58
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cost
Range
Milk (1 liter)
$1.60 ¥10.70
$1.50 ¥10.02
$2.27 ¥15.17
White Bread (500g)
$1.29 ¥8.59
$1.06 ¥7.10
$3.03 ¥20.22
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.10 ¥7.33
$0.65 ¥4.32
$2.59 ¥17.28
Eggs
$1.70 ¥11.38
$1.06 ¥7.10
$2.29 ¥15.32
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.23 ¥28.27
$4.23 ¥28.27
$52.6 ¥351
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.30 ¥15.34
$1.99 ¥13.28
$7.66 ¥51.1
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$3.85 ¥25.68
$3.85 ¥25.68
$23.05 ¥154
Apples (1kg)
$1.30 ¥8.67
$0.46 ¥3.07
$2.75 ¥18.37
Banana (1kg)
$0.59 ¥3.92
$0.59 ¥3.92
$3.22 ¥21.52
Oranges (1kg)
$0.47 ¥3.15
$0.47 ¥3.15
$3.14 ¥20.95
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 ¥9.97
$0.77 ¥5.16
$2.15 ¥14.37
Potato (1kg)
$0.76 ¥5.08
$0.61 ¥4.07
$2.43 ¥16.20
Onion (1kg)
$0.46 ¥3.10
$0.46 ¥3.10
$2.72 ¥18.17
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.31 ¥2.10
$0.31 ¥2.10
$1.26 ¥8.41
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 ¥2.90
$0.29 ¥1.93
$0.87 ¥5.80
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.95 ¥19.68
$2.21 ¥14.74
$5.15 ¥34.42
Wine (Bottle)
$3.68 ¥24.57
$3.68 ¥24.57
$29.40 ¥196
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 ¥4.09
$0.61 ¥4.09
$1.23 ¥8.19
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 ¥12.14
$1.23 ¥8.19
$3.97 ¥26.54
🚌 Getting Around
Cost
Range
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.13 ¥0.87
$0.13 ¥0.87
$0.13 ¥0.87
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.07 ¥60.6
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.48 ¥9.88
$1.48 ¥9.88
$1.93 ¥12.86
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 ¥2.49
$0.17 ¥1.15
$0.43 ¥2.87
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.23 ¥48.27
$7.23 ¥48.27
$9.04 ¥60.4
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 ¥8.23
$1.10 ¥7.32
$1.35 ¥9.01
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$15.5K ¥103.2K
$11.8K ¥78.7K
$19.1K ¥127.7K
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$13.7K ¥91.4K
$11.9K ¥79.5K
$22.3K ¥149.1K
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cost
Range
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$56.1 ¥375
$36.81 ¥246
$94.7 ¥632
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.88 ¥66.0
$4.44 ¥29.64
$20.73 ¥138
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.63 ¥111
$6.06 ¥40.43
$30.26 ¥202
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cost
Range
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$81.8 ¥546
$44.60 ¥298
$119 ¥794
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$31.35 ¥209
$17.91 ¥120
$44.78 ¥299
Cinema Ticket
$7.58 ¥50.6
$6.08 ¥40.58
$9.12 ¥60.9
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cost
Range
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$521 ¥3,480
$294 ¥1,963
$1,029 ¥6,869
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.9K ¥159.4K
$17.8K ¥118.7K
$29.6K ¥197.8K
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cost
Range
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$29.35 ¥196
$22.01 ¥147
$103 ¥685
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.57 ¥271
$22.83 ¥152
$60.9 ¥407
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.8 ¥479
$44.32 ¥296
$103 ¥690
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.3 ¥603
$43.95 ¥293
$146 ¥978
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cost
Range
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$436 ¥2,909
$303 ¥2,024
$530 ¥3,542
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$280 ¥1,873
$177 ¥1,183
$443 ¥2,957
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$905 ¥6,042
$638 ¥4,259
$1,335 ¥8,914
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$656 ¥4,377
$454 ¥3,030
$1,059 ¥7,070
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,597 ¥30.7K
$4,572 ¥30.5K
$4,647 ¥31.0K
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,882 ¥19.2K
$2,730 ¥18.2K
$3,033 ¥20.3K
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cost
Range
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,045 ¥6,977
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.35
3
5

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

Last update: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Zhuhai $787
Accommodation & Living
$280
Groceries & Markets
$119
Clothing & Footwear
$104
Sport & Entertainment
$97
Eating Out
$90
Monthly Utilities & Internet
$83
Getting Around
$13

Cost Breakdown

Expect to pay about $436 for a central one-bedroom, or $280 outside the center. At 42% of the average salary ($1,045), housing is the biggest financial pressure.

Average take-home pay sits at $1,045, while typical expenses reach $787. This leaves some room for savings, though a comfortable buffer starts closer to $1,180.

Expect to spend about $119 monthly on groceries. Dining out at a mid-range restaurant costs roughly $30.00 for two – well below the Asian average of $36.00.

Public transport is priced at around $9.07 per month – among the cheapest in Asia (average $33.00).

Cost Highlights

Local beer is cheaper than 98% of cities in Asia

Gym membership is more expensive than 93% of cities in Asia

Chicken fillets is cheaper than 92% of cities in Asia

Good to know
🕒 Local time
14:15 2:15 PM
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,207,090
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
From you
  • Zhuhai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

Zhuhai Median Internet Speeds (Updated April 2026)

Mobile

Download
Mbps
Upload
Mbps
Latency
ms

Fixed Broadband

Download
Mbps
Upload
Mbps
Latency
ms
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
City tags:
Cost of Living in Zhuhai - Frequently Asked Questions
How does Zhuhai stack up in terms of affordability for travelers, expats, and digital nomads?
Zhuhai offers a balanced value for coastal life with easy access to Macau and Guangzhou. You will find a spectrum of housing options, from serviced apartments to older walk-ups, often more affordable than larger mainland cities. Dining and groceries span budget markets and mid-range eateries, especially away from tourist zones. Utilities and reliable internet support remote work, and the city’s mild climate makes outdoor life economical for most of the year. Cost of Living in Zhuhai, China is generally sensible for steady, medium-term stays, with reachable options across neighborhoods. Tip: Prioritize longer leases to stabilize monthly costs and lock in favorable terms.
What does daily life look like in Zhuhai in terms of housing search, food, transport, and coworking?
Daily life in Zhuhai blends beachside leisure with practical logistics. Housing search often starts with districts like Gongbei for border access, Xiangzhou coastal areas, or newer developments inland; you will find a mix of serviced towers and traditional rentals. For food, seafood markets, Cantonese eateries, and affordable street stalls keep meals budget-friendly and diverse. Transport relies on buses and taxis, with ferries to nearby destinations; many travelers also enjoy cycling along developed waterfront paths. A growing coworking scene supports remote work, with spaces near business hubs and university campuses offering flexible plans. Zhuhai, China living cost shifts by location and lifestyle, so explore a few neighborhoods before committing. Tip: try short-term stays to test daily routines.
What budgeting approach helps you maximize quality of life in Zhuhai while staying flexible for seasonality and neighborhood fit?
Adopt a simple budgeting framework: set a monthly cap for housing, groceries, transport, and leisure, then track against it as you go. In Zhuhai you will notice seasonal shifts in energy use – cool months may cut AC needs, while humid summers raise it – so build a buffer for utilities. To find the right neighborhood, weigh proximity to the coast, parks, and public transport against rent. Embrace markets for fresh produce, and mix price-conscious eateries with occasional splurges to keep meals enjoyable. Compare areas by walking, bike routes, and access to coworking or beaches to tailor a long-term fit. Tip: test a few neighborhoods with short visits before signing a lease.
What is the average cost of living in Zhuhai in 2026?
As of 2026, monthly living costs in Zhuhai come to around $787 including rent, or roughly $450 excluding it. Numbers shift a bit by season and neighborhood, but this range works well as a planning baseline.
Why is Zhuhai considered affordable?
Compared to most cities worldwide, Zhuhai is just cheap – all-in costs average $787 monthly. Both housing and daily necessities sit below the international median, which explains its popularity with budget travelers, nomads, and locals on modest incomes.
Can you save money on an average salary in Zhuhai?
At $1,045 take-home, most residents in Zhuhai can cover the $787 monthly cost of living. Those earning $1,180 or more have room to save; below-average earners will find things noticeably tighter.
What are typical rents in Zhuhai?
Where you live in Zhuhai makes all the difference. Central one-bedrooms cost about $436; commute-friendly outer districts come in around $280. Overall, the market runs from $280 to $436 depending on size, location, and apartment condition.
How expensive is a gym membership in Zhuhai?
Fitness in Zhuhai is cheap at around $81.8 monthly for a standard gym. It's one of the lighter items in the budget, making it easy to stay active without worrying about the cost.
How cheap is food in Zhuhai?
Zhuhai is great for eating affordably at home. Monthly grocery bills run about $119, and local produce is plentiful and well-priced, making home cooking both practical and cost-effective.
Can you live on $800 a month in Zhuhai?
$800 stretches far in Zhuhai – all-in monthly costs average only $787. The surplus means you can build savings, travel a bit, and live above the local average without much effort.
Can you save money living in Zhuhai?
Monthly expenses in Zhuhai run around $787, so putting money aside takes more than $1,180 in income. Keeping housing costs low and avoiding lifestyle creep are the keys to building a decent savings rate here.

Zhuhai vs other spots: cost of living compared

Nearby cities

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?