Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baoding and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Baoding: $710 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Baoding
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Baoding Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Baoding

🇨🇳 China

$710

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baoding and in Shenzhen

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

A single person spends $710 per month in Baoding vs $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Baoding $710
Shenzhen $1,117

A couple spends around $1,110 per month in Baoding vs $1,714 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Baoding $1,110
Shenzhen $1,714

A family of three spends $1,510 per month in Baoding vs $2,310 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Baoding $1,510
Shenzhen $2,310

Baoding is about 36% cheaper than Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Baoding and Shenzhen are more affordable than the global median – Baoding 48% lower, Shenzhen 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.75 ¥11.67

$3.66 ¥24.35

-52.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.65 ¥117

$29.39 ¥196

-39.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥33.17

$5.28 ¥35.17

-5.68%

Cappuccino

$1.32 ¥8.76

$3.36 ¥22.34

-60.71%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.37

$0.58 ¥3.84

-12.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 ¥1.40

$0.36 ¥2.37

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.14

$1.48 ¥9.82

-47.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 ¥8.27

$2.14 ¥14.26

-42.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥10.07

$1.54 ¥10.22

-1.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.75

$1.63 ¥10.84

7.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.81

$1.14 ¥7.60

-36.84%

Eggs

$0.82 ¥5.44

$1.75 ¥11.63

-53.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.62 ¥97.3

$20.74 ¥138

-29.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.83 ¥12.21

$3.41 ¥22.71

-46.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.34 ¥48.83

$14.42 ¥96.0

-49.10%

Apples (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.10

$2.25 ¥14.96

-65.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$1.62 ¥10.79

-61.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ¥13.39

$1.94 ¥12.88

3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.15

$1.42 ¥9.47

-56.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ¥2.91

$1.08 ¥7.20

-59.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.86

$1.28 ¥8.52

-54.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ¥4.70

$0.60 ¥3.97

18.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ¥2.92

$0.56 ¥3.76

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 ¥29.29

$4.43 ¥29.50

-0.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.19 ¥94.4

$12.08 ¥80.4

17.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.92 ¥6.15

-35.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 ¥7.07

$1.83 ¥12.15

-42.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ¥1.53

$0.44 ¥2.90

-47.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.29 ¥122

$18.05 ¥120

1.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 ¥9.17

$1.53 ¥10.15

-9.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.17

$0.41 ¥2.75

-19.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.48 ¥49.80

$7.36 ¥48.98

1.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.88

$1.32 ¥8.77

-10.61%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.6K ¥130.2K

$19.2K ¥127.9K

1.78%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.3K ¥121.6K

$18.0K ¥120.1K

1.28%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$59.6 ¥396

$64.8 ¥431

-8.04%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.45 ¥29.61

$9.90 ¥65.9

-55.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.48 ¥29.81

$16.40 ¥109

-72.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 ¥278

$48.95 ¥326

-14.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.46 ¥89.5

$16.95 ¥113

-20.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.33 ¥35.47

$7.28 ¥48.44

-26.79%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$431 ¥2,868

$537 ¥3,572

-19.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥159.9K

$24.4K ¥162.4K

-1.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 ¥478

$55.7 ¥371

28.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.93 ¥272

$40.56 ¥270

0.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 ¥577

$73.1 ¥486

18.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ¥854

$93.9 ¥625

36.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 ¥1,930

$753 ¥5,010

-61.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 ¥1,258

$471 ¥3,132

-59.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 ¥4,055

$1,847 ¥12.3K

-67.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ¥2,395

$830 ¥5,525

-56.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,255 ¥21.7K

$13.2K ¥87.8K

-75.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,964 ¥13.1K

$6,479 ¥43.1K

-69.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,288 ¥8,571

$1,763 ¥11.7K

-26.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.35

-6.87%

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

Last update for Baoding: October 24, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Baoding

$189 26.6%

Shenzhen

$471 42.1% 149% $282

Groceries & Markets

Baoding

$177 24.9%

Shenzhen

$249 22.3% 40.9% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Baoding

$147 20.8%

Shenzhen

$118 10.6% 19.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baoding

$68 9.6%

Shenzhen

$91 8.2% 33% $23

Eating Out

Baoding

$54 7.6%

Shenzhen

$101 9% 86.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Baoding

$52 7.4%

Shenzhen

$64 5.7% 21.1% $11

Getting Around

Baoding

$22 3.1%

Shenzhen

$23 2.1% 5.2% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in Baoding versus $753 in Shenzhen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Shenzhen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Baoding versus $29 in Shenzhen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $177 vs $249 – making Baoding the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Baoding

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

22:53 10:53 PM

Same time as Baoding

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,437,217

12,528,300

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Baoding Shenzhen 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Baoding
Shenzhen

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Baoding vs Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $710 in Baoding, $1,117 in Shenzhen – roughly 57% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,066 per month in Baoding and $1,675 in Shenzhen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Baoding, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Baoding and $29 in Shenzhen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Shenzhen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Families tend to lean toward Baoding – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Baoding. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shenzhen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.