Ashgabat vs Bao'an
Bao'an costs roughly 2.5x less than Ashgabat. Ashgabat leads on digital nomad infrastructure. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Bao'an is approximately 66% less expensive than Ashgabat based on cost of living including rent. This makes Bao'an a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Bao'an has a FIRE Score of 80/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 75, which is relatively safe.
Recommended profile: Bao'an is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
About Ashgabat
Ashgabat is a hard sell for most foreigners: a $1,414/mo one-bedroom downtown against a $750/mo average local net salary tells you the economy runs on something other than ordinary wages. The city is small, sealed off, and expensive, with a $1,850/mo single-person cost of living excluding rent and a digital nomad score of 42, so remote workers chasing value should look elsewhere. It can work for a well-paid contract posting or a patient retiree who values safety over stimulation, but the limited English, small expat community, and 12 Mbps internet make daily life a test of tolerance. Come for the paycheck, not the lifestyle.
About Turkmenistan
A 1BR apartment near the center runs $1,042.74 a month, more than many Midwest US mortgage payments, yet there is no digital nomad or retirement visa to justify the move. Add a healthcare index of 23.7, limited English-speaking doctors, and a low expat friendliness, and daily life turns isolating fast. With a difficult route to residency and a difficult route to citizenship, this only makes sense if you have a rare work assignment locking you in.
$367/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Bao'an
Bao'an is the pragmatic pick for expats who want Shenzhen access without Shenzhen prices, with a 1-bedroom outside the center at $650/mo and a single adult budget tier of $1,400/mo. The 4.5 million population, 4 km hop to SZX, and 80 Mbps internet make it genuinely livable rather than a compromise, and a 78/100 expat score plus 80/100 FIRE score back that up. Retirees should look elsewhere given the 66/100 retiree score and 52 air quality index, and English is mostly confined to tourist areas. Come for the cheap rent and fast airport runs, stay if you can handle hot, humid summers and a medium expat crowd.
About China
China works for remote workers and business expats fluent in navigating bureaucracy, not retirees seeking an easy landing. Rent outside the city center averages just $238.5/mo, backing the low COL index of 30.7. But with no retirement visa, no digital nomad visa, and an advisory level of 2, getting legal footing here is the real obstacle, not the budget.
$500/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
Battle of Lifestyles
Scroll to compare
| Metric | Ashgabat | Bao'an |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $1414.29 | $850 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $1000 | $650 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $2285.71 | $1800 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $1928.57 | $1300 |
| Safety Index | 50 | 75 |
| Internet Speed | 12Mbps | 80Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Ashgabat | Bao'an |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $2,753/mo | N/A |
| Excluding rent | $1,753/mo | N/A |
| Rent | $1,000/mo | N/A |
| Groceries | $404/mo | N/A |
| Dining out | $314/mo | N/A |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $294/mo | N/A |
| Utilities & connectivity | $731/mo | N/A |
| Transport | $10.00/mo | N/A |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
Planning a move to Bao'an? Make sure you have the right visa.
Answer 11 questions and get a personalized visa match in under 2 minutes.
Find my visa →Compare any two visa routes.
Income thresholds, fees, processing time and residency paths, side by side. Search by country, including China and Turkmenistan.
Compare visas →Ashgabat vs Bao'an -- Frequently Asked Questions
Click any question to expand the answer.
Resources for Moving to Bao'an
Find hotels in Bao'an
Search and compare hotel prices across hundreds of booking sites.
Search hotels →Short-term rentals in Bao'an
Browse vacation rentals while you scout neighborhoods for a long-term lease.
Browse rentals →Tours and activities in Bao'an
Discover top attractions, day trips, and unique experiences.
Explore activities →eSIM for Bao'an
Get connected the moment you land. No physical SIM needed.
Get eSIM →VPN for secure browsing in Bao'an
Protect your data and access geo-restricted content while traveling.
Get NordVPN →