Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Baoji

For one person, living is cheaper in Baoji: $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
36

Cost of Living Index in Baoji
Learn more

Baoji Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Baoji

🇨🇳 China

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Baoji

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 Baoji actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,117 in Shenzhen versus $710 in Baoji.

Shenzhen $1,117
Baoji $710

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,714 in Shenzhen versus $1,140 in Baoji.

Shenzhen $1,714
Baoji $1,140

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,310 in Shenzhen versus $1,571 in Baoji.

Shenzhen $2,310
Baoji $1,571

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 57% more expensive than in Baoji, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 18% lower, Baoji 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$2.72 ¥18.07

34.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$11.77 ¥78.3

149.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.17

$4.42 ¥29.44

19.46%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.35

$2.09 ¥13.89

60.77%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.29 ¥1.93

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.29 ¥1.95

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$1.46 ¥9.71

1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$1.48 ¥9.84

44.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.23

$1.43 ¥9.50

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$1.74 ¥11.58

-6.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$0.84 ¥5.57

35.71%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$0.87 ¥5.76

101.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$11.57 ¥77.0

79.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$4.01 ¥26.69

-14.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$10.66 ¥70.9

35.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$1.63 ¥10.86

38.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.12 ¥7.45

44.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.24 ¥8.23

56.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.34 ¥8.89

5.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$0.66 ¥4.38

63.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$0.73 ¥4.88

75.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.62 ¥4.13

-3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.58 ¥3.89

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$3.36 ¥22.33

31.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$9.49 ¥63.2

27.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.80 ¥5.35

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$1.69 ¥11.24

8.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.29 ¥1.93

51.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$16.72 ¥111

7.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$1.29 ¥8.59

18.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.29 ¥1.90

41.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.98

$4.47 ¥29.78

64.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.29 ¥8.60

2.33%

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

$19.2K ¥128.0K

$19.7K ¥131.0K

-2.30%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$18.1K ¥120.3K

-0.20%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$90.5 ¥602

-28.42%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$6.32 ¥42.09

56.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$10.91 ¥72.6

50.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$39.00 ¥260

25.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$16.41 ¥109

3.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$5.78 ¥38.45

25.95%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$684 ¥4,549

-21.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$17.8K ¥118.2K

37.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$38.84 ¥258

43.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$37.99 ¥253

6.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$74.0 ¥493

-1.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$90.3 ¥601

3.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,010

$284 ¥1,887

165.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$159 ¥1,059

195.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$592 ¥3,937

212.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,525

$416 ¥2,769

99.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.8K

$2,853 ¥19.0K

362.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$1,714 ¥11.4K

277.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Baoji: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Baoji

$159 22.4% 66.2% $312

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Baoji

$191 26.9% 23.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Baoji

$109 15.3% 8.4% $9.9

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Baoji

$73 10.2% 28% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Baoji

$108 15.2% 18.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Baoji

$51 7.1% 20.4% $13

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Baoji

$21 2.9% 11.9% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Shenzhen and $284 in Baoji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29 in Shenzhen vs $12 in Baoji for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $191 per month, with Baoji cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Baoji

🕒 Local time

14:27 2:27 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

1,438,000

💱 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 Baoji 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
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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 Baoji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baoji is about 36% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,675 in Shenzhen and $1,065 in Baoji to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $753 in Shenzhen versus $284 in Baoji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baoji runs roughly 7% less than in Shenzhen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $537 in Shenzhen versus $684 in Baoji. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $710 in Baoji versus $1,117 in Shenzhen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baoji but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Baoji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Expats usually find Baoji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.