Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Anshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Anshan: $626 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Anshan
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Anshan Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Anshan

🇨🇳 China

$626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beijing (Pekin) and in Anshan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $626 in Anshan.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Anshan $626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,917 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $1,011 in Anshan.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Anshan $1,011

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,648 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $1,396 in Anshan.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Anshan $1,396

Living in Beijing (Pekin) is roughly 89% more expensive than in Anshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Anshan 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.31

$2.94 ¥19.67

54.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥202

$18.46 ¥123

63.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$4.59 ¥30.70

16.78%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.84

$2.49 ¥16.65

43.37%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.36 ¥2.38

41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.21 ¥1.40

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$0.73 ¥4.89

63.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.61 ¥10.79

6.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$1.77 ¥11.80

-1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$1.26 ¥8.42

40.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.39 ¥2.59

230.77%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.06 ¥7.07

83.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.5

$9.06 ¥60.6

57.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$1.83 ¥12.24

80.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$8.93 ¥59.7

24.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$1.02 ¥6.83

107.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.17 ¥7.80

47.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.98

$1.17 ¥7.83

78.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$1.19 ¥7.95

29.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.31 ¥2.08

122.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$0.92 ¥6.14

-1.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$0.29 ¥1.93

158.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.44 ¥2.92

38.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.52

$3.78 ¥25.28

12.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥93.0

$7.39 ¥49.42

88.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$0.72 ¥4.79

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.09 ¥7.29

66.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$0.29 ¥1.92

137.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥233

$18.04 ¥121

93.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.03 ¥6.90

84.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.14 ¥0.90

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.68

$2.93 ¥19.59

148.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.05 ¥7.05

26.67%

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

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$19.5K ¥130.4K

0.70%

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

$18.0K ¥120.6K

$15.1K ¥101.2K

19.16%

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

$59.1 ¥395

$29.47 ¥197

100.41%

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

$8.77 ¥58.7

$7.37 ¥49.28

19.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$14.66 ¥98.0

-3.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

$41.48 ¥277

-1.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$14.78 ¥98.9

68.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.74

$5.93 ¥39.63

25.46%

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

$654 ¥4,375

$226 ¥1,514

189.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.5K

$21.4K ¥143.1K

12.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥476

$36.77 ¥246

93.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥268

$32.89 ¥220

21.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥590

$60.6 ¥405

45.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥846

$69.9 ¥468

80.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

$295 ¥1,971

220.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

$182 ¥1,217

187.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$629 ¥4,209

275.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

$377 ¥2,518

197.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥82.0K

$3,509 ¥23.5K

249.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.1K

$1,923 ¥12.9K

235.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$926 ¥6,194

85.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

56.00%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 17, 2026

Last update for Anshan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Anshan

$182 29.1% 65.2% $341

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Anshan

$152 24.2% 33.7% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Anshan

$90 14.4% 38.6% $57

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Anshan

$76 12.2% 29.1% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Anshan

$52 8.2% 37.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Anshan

$53 8.5% 4.7% $2.6

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Anshan

$21 3.3% 49.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) and $295 in Anshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Beijing (Pekin) pays 85% 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: $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $18.00 in Anshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $152 per month, with Anshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Anshan

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

1,543,696

💱 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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Beijing (Pekin) Anshan 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Beijing (Pekin)
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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

Beijing (Pekin) vs Anshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Anshan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 85% higher in Beijing (Pekin), 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: $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $295 in Anshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Anshan – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) versus $626 in Anshan – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $626 in Anshan versus $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Anshan but tight or insufficient in Beijing (Pekin). The gap between the two cities makes Anshan 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 Anshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Beijing (Pekin). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.