Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Baotou Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Baotou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,059 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $729 in Baotou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,761 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,177 in Baotou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,463 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,624 in Baotou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 45% more than Baotou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Baotou are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 21% lower, Baotou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.15 ¥28.13

$2.84 ¥19.27

46.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.92 ¥189

$25.05 ¥170

11.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 ¥35.99

$7.09 ¥48.10

-25.11%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.62

$3.17 ¥21.53

-4.10%

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

$0.46 ¥3.12

$0.60 ¥4.09

-23.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.04

$0.39 ¥2.63

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ¥7.73

$1.37 ¥9.31

-16.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.47

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.69

$1.85 ¥12.53

-7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.78

$1.54 ¥10.44

3.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.48

$0.60 ¥4.08

83.33%

Eggs

$1.65 ¥11.19

$2.31 ¥15.69

-28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ¥108

$13.02 ¥88.3

22.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.82

$3.07 ¥20.80

4.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.98 ¥67.7

$10.23 ¥69.4

-2.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 ¥14.28

$1.71 ¥11.61

23.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ¥10.79

$1.22 ¥8.26

30.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.79

$1.35 ¥9.18

28.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ¥9.14

$1.09 ¥7.41

23.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.66

$0.68 ¥4.61

22.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.27

$0.90 ¥6.10

2.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ¥4.85

$0.61 ¥4.13

16.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.80

$0.55 ¥3.70

1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ¥23.38

$3.08 ¥20.88

12.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.96 ¥101

$9.49 ¥64.4

57.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.81

$0.79 ¥5.38

8.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥12.50

$1.64 ¥11.15

12.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ¥3.67

$0.27 ¥1.82

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.39 ¥213

$16.67 ¥113

88.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ¥12.53

$0.93 ¥6.28

98.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.42

$0.33 ¥2.22

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.52 ¥71.3

$6.76 ¥45.83

55.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥7.43

$1.10 ¥7.45

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

$18.2K ¥123.1K

$19.6K ¥133.2K

-7.60%

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

$15.4K ¥104.4K

$16.6K ¥112.3K

-7.04%

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

$52.7 ¥357

$45.40 ¥308

16.08%

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

$8.97 ¥60.9

$10.09 ¥68.4

-11.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.62 ¥85.6

$9.08 ¥61.6

38.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.30 ¥328

$41.88 ¥284

15.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.96 ¥122

$14.02 ¥95.1

28.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 ¥55.4

$6.36 ¥43.14

28.46%

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

$668 ¥4,530

$332 ¥2,254

101.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ¥163.3K

$16.9K ¥114.6K

42.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 ¥414

$61.0 ¥414

0.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.02 ¥231

$33.22 ¥225

2.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥521

$69.9 ¥474

9.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.1 ¥672

$83.6 ¥567

18.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 ¥6,211

$281 ¥1,905

226.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 ¥3,089

$188 ¥1,276

142.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 ¥13.0K

$590 ¥4,005

223.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 ¥7,351

$354 ¥2,402

206.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥83.9K

$3,151 ¥21.4K

292.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,323 ¥42.9K

$1,589 ¥10.8K

297.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,569 ¥10.6K

$655 ¥4,442

139.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

3.87

-5.94%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): May 30, 2026

Last update for Baotou: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $916 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $281 in Baotou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 140% higher in Beijing (Pekin), which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $25.00 in Baotou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $196 – making Baotou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Baotou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,059 in Beijing (Pekin), $729 in Baotou – roughly 45% apart. Beijing (Pekin) costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,589 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,094 in Baotou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Baotou, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Beijing (Pekin), though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Beijing (Pekin) and $25.00 in Baotou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Baotou, where all-in costs run around $729, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,059. In Baotou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Baotou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Baotou. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.