Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Bozhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Bozhou: $678 a month against $1,138 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
Learn more

Shenzhen Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Bozhou
Learn more

Bozhou Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,138

/mo nomad

Bozhou

🇨🇳 China

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen and in Bozhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Shenzhen versus $678 in Bozhou.

Shenzhen $1,138
Bozhou $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Shenzhen versus $1,083 in Bozhou.

Shenzhen $1,750
Bozhou $1,083

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,362 in Shenzhen versus $1,487 in Bozhou.

Shenzhen $2,362
Bozhou $1,487

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 68% more expensive than in Bozhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 16% lower, Bozhou 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ¥24.53

$1.51 ¥10.12

143.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ¥197

$22.71 ¥152

29.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.28

$4.37 ¥29.23

20.82%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.83

$2.68 ¥17.89

22.01%

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

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.39 ¥2.60

38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.27 ¥1.79

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$1.02 ¥6.85

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$1.84 ¥12.31

16.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$1.23 ¥8.20

31.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$2.06 ¥13.78

-21.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$0.44 ¥2.93

147.73%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.44

$0.92 ¥6.16

85.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 ¥143

$14.11 ¥94.3

51.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.08

$2.18 ¥14.60

58.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 ¥95.3

$10.63 ¥71.1

34.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.64

$1.21 ¥8.12

93.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.55

$1.06 ¥7.09

49.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$0.74 ¥4.95

163.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$0.73 ¥4.87

101.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.21

$0.46 ¥3.09

134.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$0.59 ¥3.94

111.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.58 ¥3.87

1.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.62 ¥4.16

-4.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥29.47

$3.04 ¥20.30

45.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$11.81 ¥79.0

-0.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.94 ¥6.28

4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.69

$1.21 ¥8.11

44.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.31 ¥2.08

103.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ¥149

$17.25 ¥115

29.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.04 ¥6.93

39.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.33 ¥2.19

18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.93

$3.52 ¥23.53

99.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.10 ¥7.35

21.82%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$19.6K ¥131.2K

-0.97%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$16.7K ¥111.5K

8.82%

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

$65.1 ¥435

$48.90 ¥327

33.13%

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

$10.25 ¥68.5

$4.26 ¥28.47

140.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.17 ¥108

$7.26 ¥48.54

122.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ¥326

$39.29 ¥263

24.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 ¥115

$14.76 ¥98.7

16.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ¥50.2

$3.70 ¥24.72

102.97%

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

$538 ¥3,596

$244 ¥1,631

120.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥162.2K

$8,547 ¥57.1K

183.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥367

$45.42 ¥304

20.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 ¥268

$32.95 ¥220

21.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥484

$64.5 ¥431

12.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ¥624

$74.9 ¥501

24.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ¥5,135

$309 ¥2,064

148.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,248

$197 ¥1,320

145.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ¥13.3K

$551 ¥3,681

259.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ¥5,813

$387 ¥2,590

124.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ¥92.0K

$3,746 ¥25.0K

267.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$1,918 ¥12.8K

217.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 ¥11.6K

$748 ¥4,999

132.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.15

6.35%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bozhou: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$486 42.7%

Bozhou

$197 29.1% 59.3% $288

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$251 22.1%

Bozhou

$186 27.4% 26.1% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Bozhou

$98 14.5% 16.5% $19

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$100 8.8%

Bozhou

$69 10.1% 31.1% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$92 8%

Bozhou

$60 8.9% 34% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.6%

Bozhou

$47 6.9% 26.8% $17

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.5%

Bozhou

$21 3.1% 24.9% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Shenzhen and $309 in Bozhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 132% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Shenzhen vs $23.00 in Bozhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $186 per month, with Bozhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇳 Bozhou

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

1,537,231

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Shenzhen Bozhou 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Bozhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bozhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 132% higher in Shenzhen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $768 in Shenzhen versus $309 in Bozhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bozhou – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $29.00 in Shenzhen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,138 per month in Shenzhen versus $678 in Bozhou – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $678 in Bozhou versus $1,138 in Shenzhen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bozhou but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. The gap between the two cities makes Bozhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bozhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.