Cost of living: Shanghai vs Shenzhen

Choose where you live now and another city. You'll see what a normal month costs in each: rent, food, transport, bills and going out.

Where you live now City to compare

Household

Rent

Shenzhen is 20% cheaper than Shanghai.

Monthly cost for one person, renting in the city centre. Includes rent, food, transport, bills and going out.

Where you live now

Monthly costs by category

Show amounts in

Category	Shanghai	Shenzhen	Difference
Rent	7,358	5,351	−27%
Groceries	1,762	1,650	−6%
Eating out	1,104	978	−11%
Getting around	507	458	−10%
Bills	1,008	933	−7%
Going out	435	397	−9%
Clothes	134	130	−3%
Total per month	12,309	9,898	−20%

Shenzhen is 20% cheaper than Shanghai for one person renting in the city centre. The biggest gap is rent (−27%); clothes is the closest (−3%). Someone spending CN¥12,309 a month in Shanghai would need about CN¥9,898 in Shenzhen for the same lifestyle. Rent takes 54% of the monthly budget in Shenzhen and 60% in Shanghai.

Shenzhen: no reports yet, so these numbers are starting estimates from the city's overall price level.How this is calculated

Prices

Everyday prices in Shenzhen

The typical price people paid recently, and how it compares with Shanghai. "Estimated" means we don't have many reports yet.

Show amounts in

Item	Typical price	vs Shanghai	Reports
Cappuccino, regularEstimated	CN¥13.49	−12% vs Shanghai	0 reports
Meal at an inexpensive restaurantEstimated	CN¥56.39	−12% vs Shanghai	0 reports
Monthly public transport passEstimated	CN¥383	−10% vs Shanghai	0 reports
1-bedroom flat, city centreEstimated	CN¥5,351	−27% vs Shanghai	0 reports
1-bedroom flat, outside the centreEstimated	CN¥3,853	−27% vs Shanghai	0 reports
Milk, 1 LEstimated	CN¥5.27	−6% vs Shanghai	0 reports
Eggs, 12Estimated	CN¥18.63	−7% vs Shanghai	0 reports
Chicken fillets, 1 kgEstimated	CN¥52.65	−6% vs Shanghai	0 reports
Electricity, water, heating and cooling for 85 m²Estimated	CN¥720	−8% vs Shanghai	0 reports
Home internet, 60 Mbps or fasterEstimated	CN¥242	−7% vs Shanghai	0 reports
Mobile plan with calls and 10 GB+ dataEstimated	CN¥224	−7% vs Shanghai	0 reports
Gym membership, monthlyEstimated	CN¥284	−9% vs Shanghai	0 reports
Cinema ticketEstimated	CN¥56.73	−9% vs Shanghai	0 reports
Jeans, Levi's 501 or similarEstimated	CN¥353	−3% vs Shanghai	0 reports

Most reports (10th–90th percentile) Middle half of reports Same item in Shanghai

All prices in Shenzhen

Method

Where the numbers come from

People who live in each city share what they paid. Every price is checked before it counts.

People share prices
Anyone can add what they paid, in their own currency. No account needed. A quick automatic check keeps bots out.
We check every price
Typos, wrong currencies and impossible amounts are caught. An unusual price only counts after someone else reports something similar.
We work out the typical price
We use the middle price of recent reports. When a city has only a few reports, we estimate the rest and label it "Estimated".

No reports in the last 30 days yet. When they arrive, you'll see here how many were counted, held for a second opinion or turned down.

Rankings

Most and least expensive cities

Monthly cost for one person renting in the city centre, in Chinese yuan. Pick a city to compare it with Shanghai. See all 118 cities

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Comparisons

Popular comparisons

Cities people often weigh up against each other. Monthly cost for one person, rent in the centre included.

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Rent, groceries, eating out and monthly budgets for every city we cover.

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FAQ

Shanghai vs Shenzhen: common questions

Is Shenzhen cheaper than Shanghai?

Yes. One person renting a 1-bedroom flat in the centre spends about CN¥9,898 a month in Shenzhen, against CN¥12,309 in Shanghai: 20% less.

How much is rent in Shenzhen compared with Shanghai?

A 1-bedroom flat in the centre of Shenzhen rents for about CN¥5,351 a month, −27% compared with CN¥7,358 in Shanghai. Outside the centre it's about CN¥3,853 against CN¥5,298.

How much money do I need to move from Shanghai to Shenzhen?

To keep the lifestyle that costs CN¥12,309 a month in Shanghai, plan on about CN¥9,898 in Shenzhen for one person. A family of four would need about CN¥27,971, compared with CN¥33,853 in Shanghai.

How much does eating out cost in Shenzhen vs Shanghai?

A meal at an inexpensive restaurant is about CN¥56.39 in Shenzhen and CN¥64.41 in Shanghai. A regular cappuccino is about CN¥13.49 against CN¥15.25.

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