Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Bengbu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bengbu: $666 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Beijing (Pekin)
🇨🇳 China
$1,184
/mo nomad
Bengbu
🇨🇳 China
$666
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $666 in Bengbu, rent included.

  • Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
  • Bengbu $666

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,043 in Bengbu, rent included.

  • Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
  • Bengbu $1,043

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,420 in Bengbu, rent included.

  • Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
  • Bengbu $1,420

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 78% more than Bengbu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Bengbu are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Bengbu 51% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Beijing (Pekin)
Bengbu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ¥29.86
$2.31 ¥15.42
93.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.66 ¥198
$10.50 ¥70.2
182.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.21 ¥34.80
$4.76 ¥31.80
9.45%
Cappuccino
$3.72 ¥24.86
$3.15 ¥21.08
18.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ¥3.34
$0.47 ¥3.16
6.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 ¥1.73
$0.25 ¥1.66
4.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.17 ¥7.84
$1.45 ¥9.67
-19.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 ¥11.07
$2.21 ¥14.74
-24.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Beijing (Pekin)
Bengbu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 ¥11.05
$2.18 ¥14.56
-24.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.76 ¥11.74
$1.02 ¥6.82
72.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.27 ¥8.51
$0.72 ¥4.85
76.39%
Eggs
$1.88 ¥12.55
$1.32 ¥8.82
42.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.65 ¥98.0
$10.42 ¥69.7
40.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.15 ¥21.03
$3.04 ¥20.30
3.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.03 ¥73.8
$9.00 ¥60.2
22.56%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 ¥13.53
$1.50 ¥10.03
34.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.72 ¥11.47
$1.07 ¥7.13
60.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 ¥13.94
$1.52 ¥10.16
36.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.55 ¥10.35
$0.78 ¥5.22
98.72%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 ¥4.82
$0.62 ¥4.16
16.13%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 ¥5.68
$0.63 ¥4.20
34.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.69 ¥4.60
$0.76 ¥5.09
-9.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 ¥4.10
$0.43 ¥2.90
41.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.32 ¥28.88
$2.93 ¥19.56
47.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.10 ¥94.3
$6.10 ¥40.82
131.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 ¥6.76
$0.76 ¥5.11
32.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 ¥12.17
$1.47 ¥9.86
23.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Beijing (Pekin)
Bengbu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.70 ¥4.67
$0.31 ¥2.09
125.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.48 ¥231
$20.48 ¥137
68.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 ¥12.84
$1.61 ¥10.76
19.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.33 ¥2.19
$0.38 ¥2.57
-13.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.67 ¥51.3
$9.15 ¥61.2
-16.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 ¥8.93
$1.29 ¥8.66
3.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.3K ¥128.9K
$19.2K ¥128.4K
0.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.3K ¥122.3K
$16.6K ¥111.2K
9.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beijing (Pekin)
Bengbu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.3 ¥383
$36.70 ¥245
56.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.13 ¥61.0
$5.39 ¥36.01
69.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.22 ¥95.1
$7.07 ¥47.24
101.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Beijing (Pekin)
Bengbu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.34 ¥283
$41.28 ¥276
2.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.61 ¥165
$16.25 ¥109
51.45%
Cinema Ticket
$7.40 ¥49.48
$5.99 ¥40.07
23.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Beijing (Pekin)
Bengbu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$660 ¥4,410
$417 ¥2,788
58.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.2K ¥161.9K
$22.1K ¥147.9K
9.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Beijing (Pekin)
Bengbu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.8 ¥467
$43.41 ¥290
60.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.69 ¥265
$33.77 ¥226
17.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.9 ¥594
$66.1 ¥442
34.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 ¥849
$88.5 ¥592
43.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Beijing (Pekin)
Bengbu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$940 ¥6,286
$294 ¥1,969
219.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$524 ¥3,501
$181 ¥1,209
189.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,319 ¥15.5K
$586 ¥3,920
295.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,128 ¥7,542
$349 ¥2,334
223.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$12.4K ¥82.8K
$3,507 ¥23.4K
252.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,284 ¥42.0K
$2,194 ¥14.7K
186.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Beijing (Pekin)
Bengbu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,713 ¥11.5K
$668 ¥4,468
156.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.12
3.42
-8.77%

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

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

Last update for Bengbu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Beijing (Pekin)
$524
Bengbu
$181 65.5% $343
Groceries & Markets
Beijing (Pekin)
$227
Bengbu
$168 26% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Beijing (Pekin)
$146
Bengbu
$104 28.7% $42
Eating Out
Beijing (Pekin)
$108
Bengbu
$85 21.3% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beijing (Pekin)
$81
Bengbu
$49 39.1% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Beijing (Pekin)
$57
Bengbu
$53 6.8% $3.9
Getting Around
Beijing (Pekin)
$41
Bengbu
$25 38.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $294 in Bengbu. 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 156% 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 $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $11.00 in Bengbu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $168 – making Bengbu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)
🇨🇳 Bengbu
🕒 Local time
14:25 2:25 PM
14:25 2:25 PM
Same time as Beijing (Pekin)
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,893,095 Capital
3,296,408
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Beijing (Pekin) Bengbu 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Beijing (Pekin)
  • Bengbu

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 Bengbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bengbu cheaper than Beijing (Pekin)?
Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 78%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $999 in Bengbu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bengbu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Beijing (Pekin) or in Bengbu?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) and $11.00 in Bengbu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Beijing (Pekin) and in Bengbu?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin) and $666 in Bengbu. That's a gap of about 78%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Beijing (Pekin) or in Bengbu?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bengbu, where all-in costs run around $666, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Bengbu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Beijing (Pekin) or Bengbu more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Bengbu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Bengbu. 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.

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