Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Baiquan

For one person, living is cheaper in Baiquan: $729 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Baiquan
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Baiquan Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Baiquan

🇨🇳 China

$729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $729 in Baiquan.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
Baiquan $729

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,916 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $1,151 in Baiquan.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
Baiquan $1,151

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,647 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $1,574 in Baiquan.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
Baiquan $1,574

Living in Beijing (Pekin) is roughly 62% more expensive than in Baiquan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Baiquan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ¥29.86

$2.84 ¥18.96

57.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥198

$20.15 ¥135

47.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ¥34.80

$4.99 ¥33.35

4.41%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥24.86

$2.76 ¥18.48

34.78%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.50 ¥3.35

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.31 ¥2.07

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$1.07 ¥7.13

9.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$2.08 ¥13.93

-20.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$1.79 ¥11.94

-7.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.49 ¥9.99

18.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$0.97 ¥6.50

30.93%

Eggs

$1.88 ¥12.55

$1.76 ¥11.75

6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$13.56 ¥90.7

8.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.03

$2.92 ¥19.55

7.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ¥73.8

$9.54 ¥63.8

15.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$2.12 ¥14.21

-4.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.45 ¥9.69

18.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.31 ¥8.79

58.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$1.30 ¥8.69

19.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.65 ¥4.37

10.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$0.92 ¥6.15

-7.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.59 ¥3.93

16.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.63 ¥4.21

-3.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ¥28.88

$3.24 ¥21.67

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$11.19 ¥74.8

26.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$0.78 ¥5.20

29.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$1.57 ¥10.48

15.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.29 ¥1.92

141.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.48 ¥231

$17.29 ¥116

99.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ¥12.84

$1.65 ¥11.02

16.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.35 ¥2.33

-5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$7.38 ¥49.36

3.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.25 ¥8.34

7.20%

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

$19.3K ¥128.9K

$18.2K ¥121.5K

6.07%

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

$18.3K ¥122.3K

$15.5K ¥103.4K

18.34%

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

$57.3 ¥383

$54.4 ¥363

5.45%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$9.68 ¥64.7

-5.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$10.50 ¥70.2

35.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

$36.83 ¥246

14.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥165

$16.25 ¥109

51.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 ¥49.48

$6.03 ¥40.35

22.72%

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

$660 ¥4,410

$450 ¥3,008

46.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.9K

$16.8K ¥112.4K

44.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ¥467

$48.80 ¥326

43.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ¥265

$37.35 ¥250

6.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ¥594

$80.3 ¥537

10.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥849

$79.4 ¥531

59.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 ¥6,286

$295 ¥1,971

218.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$187 ¥1,252

179.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 ¥15.5K

$697 ¥4,660

232.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 ¥7,542

$356 ¥2,379

216.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥82.8K

$3,812 ¥25.5K

224.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ¥42.0K

$1,827 ¥12.2K

244.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ¥11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.36

-7.14%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 11, 2026

Last update for Baiquan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2%

Baiquan

$187 25.7% 64.2% $336

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2%

Baiquan

$202 27.7% 11% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4%

Baiquan

$111 15.2% 24.4% $36

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Baiquan

$84 11.5% 22.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8%

Baiquan

$75 10.2% 7.6% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8%

Baiquan

$49 6.7% 14.4% $8.2

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Baiquan

$22 3% 46.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) and $295 in Baiquan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $20.00 in Baiquan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $202 per month, with Baiquan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Baiquan

🕒 Local time

14:08 2:08 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

💱 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) Baiquan 540 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 Baiquan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baiquan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,775 in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,093 in Baiquan 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: $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $295 in Baiquan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $660 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $450 in Baiquan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Beijing (Pekin). For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $729 in Baiquan versus $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baiquan but tight or insufficient in Beijing (Pekin). The gap between the two cities makes Baiquan 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.

Safety-wise, Beijing (Pekin) and Baiquan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baiquan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Beijing (Pekin). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.