Head to head
Compare Chinese cities
The pairs brands actually argue about, on one table: official 2025 statistics plus the four pillars of the YIVA China City Entry Index. Every pair uses the same published data, so the numbers are directly comparable within this release.
- Shanghai vs Beijing
Both sit in the mid-80s. The gap is consumer depth and policy, not market size.
Entry index 86.0 vs 85.1
- Shanghai vs Shenzhen
China's deepest consumer market against its most digitally reachable one.
Entry index 86.0 vs 81.7
- Beijing vs Shenzhen
Capital-city consumption versus the youngest, most platform-native market.
Entry index 85.1 vs 81.7
- Guangzhou vs Shenzhen
Two cities in one mega-region, with different consumer bases and cost structures.
Entry index 82.6 vs 81.7
- Chengdu vs Chongqing
Chongqing is the bigger economy; Chengdu has the deeper consumer market.
Entry index 69.6 vs 68.7
- Hangzhou vs Suzhou
Platform-native consumption against manufacturing wealth next to Shanghai.
Entry index 74.6 vs 71.7
- Wuhan vs Changsha
Two central-China hubs competing for the same inland consumer.
Entry index 71.2 vs 64.0
- Nanjing vs Hangzhou
Similar scale, different digital reach — useful when choosing a Yangtze base.
Entry index 63.8 vs 74.6
- Ningbo vs Suzhou
Port wealth versus industrial wealth; almost identical market size, different reach.
Entry index 66.3 vs 71.7
- Qingdao vs Xiamen
The two coastal tier-2 cities brands usually shortlist against each other.
Entry index 59.0 vs 57.6
- Wuxi vs Ningbo
High income, small population: what scale costs you in the index.
Entry index 59.9 vs 66.3
- Xi'an vs Chengdu
Northwest gateway versus southwest capital: reach differs more than income.
Entry index 50.5 vs 69.6
- Zhengzhou vs Wuhan
Two inland logistics hubs, one much stronger on digital reach.
Entry index 49.0 vs 71.2
- Hefei vs Nanjing
Neighbours with a wide gap in consumer depth despite similar growth.
Entry index 53.2 vs 63.8
- Shenyang vs Dalian
Northeast shortlist: Dalian's coast versus Shenyang's scale.
Entry index 44.9 vs 43.8
- Kunming vs Guiyang
Southwest tier-2 pair, often compared for regional distribution.
Entry index 40.2 vs 27.3
- Fuzhou vs Xiamen
Fujian's two candidates: similar income, different digital penetration.
Entry index 53.3 vs 57.6
- Dongguan vs Foshan
Pearl River Delta manufacturing cities with young, platform-heavy consumers.
Entry index 56.2 vs 50.1
- Shaoxing vs Jiaxing
Nearly the same size and the same distance from Shanghai; Shaoxing's higher income is the only clear separator.
Entry index 46.4 vs 38.5
- Jinhua vs Wenzhou
Yiwu's wholesale reach against Wenzhou's larger, wealthier home market.
Entry index 46.4 vs 49.3
- Taizhou vs Ningbo
Same Zhejiang coast, similar incomes; Ningbo's scale and free-trade membership do the separating.
Entry index 35.2 vs 66.3
- Yangzhou vs Nanjing
Two hours up the Yangtze: comparable output per head, half the consumer market.
Entry index 39.3 vs 63.8
- Luoyang vs Zhengzhou
Both Henan and both free-trade members since 2017; Zhengzhou has twice the market.
Entry index 22.9 vs 49.0
- Wuhu vs Hefei
Identical disposable income, a third of the population: what Hefei's tech base buys.
Entry index 35.1 vs 53.2
- Huizhou vs Dongguan
Both absorb Shenzhen's spillover; Dongguan's income and manufacturing density sit a tier higher.
Entry index 24.3 vs 56.2
- Zhongshan vs Foshan
Two Pearl River Delta manufacturing cities with similar incomes; Foshan has twice the population.
Entry index 26.0 vs 50.1
- Sanya vs Haikou
Both carry the same Hainan policy package; Sanya converts it with a tenth of Haikou's population.
Entry index 34.6 vs 30.6
- Guilin vs Liuzhou
Guangxi's two mid-size cities: Liuzhou's industry against Guilin's visitor economy, neither with policy access.
Entry index 18.6 vs 13.2
Want a different pair? Pick from the full ranking or read how the index is built. Any two city profiles can be compared by putting -vs- between their slugs in a compare URL.