Minimum vs Living Wage in China
This comparison brings together living wage benchmarks for eight Chinese cities—four from 2024 and four updated in 2025—and the legal minimum wage figures used when the comparison was assembled in August 2026. The living wage figures range from 1.58× to 2.09× those minimum wage figures. The range describes these eight comparisons; it is not a general rule for China or a measure of what any particular worker earns.
Eight cities, two wage measures
The living wage figures below are gross monthly urban benchmarks from the Anker Research Institute’s China reports: four 2025 updates and four 2024 benchmarks.
The table shows each living wage benchmark year. Its minimum wage figures belong to the August 2026 comparison and should not be treated as current rates; for newer rates and local effective dates, use China’s Legal Minimum Wage.
| City | Benchmark | Living wage CNY / month | Minimum wage CNY / month | Ratio | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai 上海 | 2025 | ¥5,731 | / | ¥2,740 | = | Living wage¥5,731/Minimum wage¥2,740= | 2.09× |
| Hangzhou 杭州 | 2024 | ¥4,824 | / | ¥2,490 | = | Living wage¥4,824/Minimum wage¥2,490= | 1.94× |
| Dongguan 东莞 | 2024 | ¥3,785 | / | ¥1,990 | = | Living wage¥3,785/Minimum wage¥1,990= | 1.90× |
| Suzhou 苏州 | 2025 | ¥4,669 | / | ¥2,490 | = | Living wage¥4,669/Minimum wage¥2,490= | 1.88× |
| Shenzhen 深圳 | 2024 | ¥4,401 | / | ¥2,360 | = | Living wage¥4,401/Minimum wage¥2,360= | 1.86× |
| Zhengzhou 郑州 | 2025 | ¥4,015 | / | ¥2,350 | = | Living wage¥4,015/Minimum wage¥2,350= | 1.71× |
| Ningbo 宁波 | 2024 | ¥4,198 | / | ¥2,490 | = | Living wage¥4,198/Minimum wage¥2,490= | 1.69× |
| Chengdu 成都 | 2025 | ¥3,684 | / | ¥2,330 | = | Living wage¥3,684/Minimum wage¥2,330= | 1.58× |
See China’s Legal Minimum Wage ↗
What does “around twice” tell us?
For a brand or supplier, it can be a simple first screening question: are workers’ regular monthly earnings around twice the legal minimum wage? If the answer is no, it may be worth examining the wage gap more closely. If the answer is yes, that still does not prove workers earn a living wage. Local costs differ, and the benchmark must be compared with actual earnings on a consistent basis, without relying on excessive overtime.
Calculating a living wage takes local research, price collection and analysis. Anker’s methodology covers food, housing, other essential needs and a margin for unforeseen events. Its Shenzhen study was conducted by researchers from the China Anti-Poverty Research Institute at Renmin University of China in partnership with Anker. The estimates are valuable decision-making tools, but a rough multiple cannot replace a proper living wage assessment.