According to the National Bureau of Statistics, disposable income per capita in Shenzhen was 40,948 yuan last year, which was 6.9 percent higher than 2013, or 3,412 yuan per month. This year disposable income is expected to reach 43,773 yuan or 3,648 yuan per month.

For an average employee on 3,648 yuan a month, that means 40 percent will go on renting a 20 sq m room in Futian district.

Frustrated by spiralling prices, many young residents are planning to leave the city.

Xiao Yufeng, 27, came to Shenzhen in 2009 after graduating from university. But after six years, the architect is returning to her hometown of Chengdu in Sichuan province.

"I do not see any hope of buying my own home in the near future," Xiao said. "And living a life of renting is not a long-term solution."

Xiao's annual salary is 150,000 yuan and she will probably have to take a 20,000 yuan pay cut when she moves back to Chengdu.

"For me, the gap in wages between the two cities is not a big deal," she said. "Housing prices in Chengdu are much lower. There really is not a strong reason for me to stay in Shenzhen."

High property costs are also starting to affect recruitment plans in the city. Companies report losing research and development staff because they simply can not afford to live in Shenzhen.

Salaries for R&D employees are normally higher than other workers. But even this group is starting to feel the pinch.

"Recruitment costs for fresh graduates in Shenzhen have already surpassed Shanghai," said Philip Hao, chief executive officer of MyOffer, an online platform which helps students apply for places at overseas universities.

"Most employees have voiced their concern over high housing cost when negotiating salaries."

Wu Yingjian used to work in R&D at telecoms equipment giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd in Shenzhen after joining the company in 2012. But now that he is planning to get married, Wu has moved back to his hometown of Fuzhou in southeastern Fujian province.

"My girlfriend and I became accustomed to life in Shenzhen－its fast pace and warm winters. But we were left with no choice because of rising property prices," Wu, 29, said.

With annual GDP running at 1.6 trillion yuan, the city is still attractive to young entrepreneurs hoping to turn their dreams into reality.

The Shenzhen government is banking on enticing the brightest and the best by rolling out a one-off housing subsidy of up to 12,000 yuan earlier this year.

But will that be enough? "Skyrocketing housing prices will, to some extent, undermine the city's attractiveness, leading to an outflow of talent," He Qianru, manager at the Midland Realty National Research Center, said.

Kan, of Colliers International, is more positive. "The Qianhai and Shekou free trade zone is developing rapidly," he said. "Many companies have already registered there, providing a number of opportunities for young talent."

Wang Fei, manager at Centaline Property Research Center, shares Kan's upbeat assessment. "Judging from the statistics, Shenzhen's employment attractiveness is still growing－it is increasing every year," she said.