Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Baoding

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.

54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Baoding
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Baoding Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Baoding

🇨🇳 China

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Baoding

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

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

Shenzhen $1,117
Baoding $710

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

Shenzhen $1,714
Baoding $1,110

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

Shenzhen $2,310
Baoding $1,510

Shenzhen costs about 57% more than Baoding, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$1.75 ¥11.67

109.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$17.65 ¥117

66.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.17

$4.98 ¥33.17

6.02%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.34

$1.32 ¥8.76

154.55%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.51 ¥3.37

13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.21 ¥1.40

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$0.77 ¥5.14

92.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$1.24 ¥8.27

72.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.22

$1.51 ¥10.07

1.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$1.76 ¥11.75

-7.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$0.72 ¥4.81

58.33%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$0.82 ¥5.44

113.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$14.62 ¥97.3

41.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$1.83 ¥12.21

86.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$7.34 ¥48.83

96.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$0.77 ¥5.10

192.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$0.62 ¥4.13

161.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$2.01 ¥13.39

-3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$0.62 ¥4.15

129.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$0.44 ¥2.91

145.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$0.58 ¥3.86

120.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.71 ¥4.70

-15.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.44 ¥2.92

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$4.40 ¥29.29

0.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$14.19 ¥94.4

-14.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.59 ¥3.92

55.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$1.06 ¥7.07

72.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.23 ¥1.53

91.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$18.29 ¥122

-1.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$1.38 ¥9.17

10.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.33 ¥2.17

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.98

$7.48 ¥49.80

-1.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.18 ¥7.88

11.86%

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$19.6K ¥130.2K

-1.75%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$18.3K ¥121.6K

-1.26%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$59.6 ¥396

8.75%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$4.45 ¥29.61

122.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$4.48 ¥29.81

266.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$41.78 ¥278

17.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$13.46 ¥89.5

25.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$5.33 ¥35.47

36.59%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$431 ¥2,868

24.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$24.0K ¥159.9K

1.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$71.8 ¥478

-22.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$40.93 ¥272

-0.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$86.7 ¥577

-15.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$128 ¥854

-26.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,010

$290 ¥1,930

159.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$189 ¥1,258

148.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$609 ¥4,055

203.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,525

$360 ¥2,395

130.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.8K

$3,255 ¥21.7K

305.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$1,964 ¥13.1K

229.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

$1,288 ¥8,571

36.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.12

7.37%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Baoding: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Baoding

$189 26.6% 59.8% $282

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Baoding

$177 24.9% 29% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Baoding

$147 20.8% 24.5% $29

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Baoding

$54 7.6% 46.4% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Baoding

$68 9.6% 24.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Baoding

$52 7.4% 17.4% $11

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Baoding

$22 3.1% 5% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Shenzhen versus $290 in Baoding. 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 $29 in Shenzhen versus $18 in Baoding. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $177 – making Baoding the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Baoding

🕒 Local time

02:38 2:38 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

11,437,217

💱 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

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

From you

Shenzhen
Baoding

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

Shenzhen vs Baoding: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,675 per month in Shenzhen and $1,066 in Baoding. 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 $29 in Shenzhen and $18 in Baoding. 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.