Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Beihai

For one person, living is cheaper in Beihai: $744 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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 Beihai
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Beihai Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Beihai

🇨🇳 China

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $744 in Beihai, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
Beihai $744

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,167 in Beihai, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
Beihai $1,167

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,590 in Beihai, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
Beihai $1,590

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 59% more than Beihai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Beihai are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Beihai 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ¥29.86

$3.40 ¥22.74

31.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥198

$19.56 ¥131

51.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ¥34.80

$5.58 ¥37.30

-6.63%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥24.86

$2.43 ¥16.28

53.09%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.46 ¥3.09

8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.30 ¥1.99

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$1.22 ¥8.13

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$2.29 ¥15.34

-27.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$1.90 ¥12.68

-13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.70 ¥11.36

3.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.10 ¥7.33

15.45%

Eggs

$1.88 ¥12.55

$1.87 ¥12.53

0.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$13.95 ¥93.3

5.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.03

$2.92 ¥19.54

7.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ¥73.8

$10.58 ¥70.8

4.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$2.10 ¥14.02

-3.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.48 ¥9.91

16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.52 ¥10.19

36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$1.27 ¥8.47

22.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.74 ¥4.92

-2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$0.97 ¥6.45

-12.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.67 ¥4.47

2.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.50 ¥3.33

22.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ¥28.88

$3.39 ¥22.70

27.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$12.05 ¥80.6

17.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$0.74 ¥4.95

36.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$1.66 ¥11.10

9.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.30 ¥2.02

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.48 ¥231

$17.17 ¥115

100.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ¥12.84

$1.56 ¥10.42

23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.31 ¥2.08

6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$6.21 ¥41.52

23.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.39 ¥9.31

-3.60%

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

$19.3K ¥128.9K

$18.2K ¥121.6K

6.02%

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

$18.3K ¥122.3K

$18.2K ¥121.9K

0.34%

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

$57.3 ¥383

$61.5 ¥411

-6.84%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$9.42 ¥63.0

-3.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$12.09 ¥80.8

17.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

$40.99 ¥274

3.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥165

$14.01 ¥93.7

75.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 ¥49.48

$5.71 ¥38.19

29.60%

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

$660 ¥4,410

$458 ¥3,064

43.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.9K

$18.3K ¥122.5K

32.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ¥467

$48.58 ¥325

43.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ¥265

$38.03 ¥254

4.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ¥594

$79.9 ¥534

11.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥849

$79.0 ¥528

60.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 ¥6,286

$279 ¥1,862

237.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$178 ¥1,190

194.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 ¥15.5K

$718 ¥4,803

222.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 ¥7,542

$332 ¥2,221

239.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥82.8K

$3,665 ¥24.5K

237.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ¥42.0K

$2,221 ¥14.8K

182.98%

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 Beihai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2%

Beihai

$178 23.9% 66% $346

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2%

Beihai

$212 28.5% 6.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4%

Beihai

$110 14.9% 24.5% $36

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Beihai

$87 11.7% 19.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8%

Beihai

$83 11.2% 3% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8%

Beihai

$52 7% 8.3% $4.7

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Beihai

$22 2.9% 47.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $279 in Beihai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $20.00 in Beihai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $212 – making Beihai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Beihai

🕒 Local time

12:38 12:38 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

1,617,500

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 59% more than Beihai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,116 in Beihai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 7% 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 $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) and $20.00 in Beihai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Beihai, where all-in costs run around $744, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Beihai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Beihai – 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 Beihai. 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.