Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Benxi

For one person, living is cheaper in Benxi: $692 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Benxi
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Benxi Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Benxi

🇨🇳 China

$692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $692 in Benxi, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Benxi $692

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $991 in Benxi, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Benxi $991

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,291 in Benxi, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Benxi $1,291

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 73% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Benxi are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Benxi 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$3.04 ¥20.22

45.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$22.33 ¥149

32.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$5.31 ¥35.31

1.13%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$2.40 ¥16.00

55.42%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.51 ¥3.40

9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.29 ¥1.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$0.73 ¥4.85

63.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$1.76 ¥11.71

-1.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.43

$1.85 ¥12.30

-7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$1.22 ¥8.10

45.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$0.84 ¥5.61

53.57%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.60 ¥10.67

19.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$10.00 ¥66.5

47.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$2.85 ¥18.95

12.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$8.92 ¥59.4

25.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$1.62 ¥10.76

31.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.89

$1.38 ¥9.19

29.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.62 ¥10.78

26.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.37 ¥9.13

11.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.58 ¥3.89

27.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.85 ¥12.28

-50.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.61 ¥4.09

13.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.69 ¥4.58

-11.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$2.97 ¥19.78

49.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$8.24 ¥54.8

69.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.58 ¥3.85

77.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.25 ¥8.31

44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.31 ¥2.09

90.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$12.21 ¥81.3

166.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$0.88 ¥5.85

127.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.29 ¥1.92

13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$2.98 ¥19.85

157.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.13 ¥7.54

15.04%

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

$19.7K ¥131.4K

$19.8K ¥131.9K

-0.38%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$18.0K ¥119.6K

0.18%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$54.4 ¥362

8.24%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$6.70 ¥44.57

30.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$10.41 ¥69.3

39.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$66.3 ¥441

-29.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$8.31 ¥55.3

194.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$6.03 ¥40.14

26.04%

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

$985 ¥6,556

$449 ¥2,989

119.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

$8,894 ¥59.2K

175.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$29.74 ¥198

142.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$32.77 ¥218

22.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$60.2 ¥401

44.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$52.4 ¥349

140.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$137 ¥908

583.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,524

$189 ¥1,260

179.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$258 ¥1,714

784.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,293

$153 ¥1,017

617.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$3,371 ¥22.4K

250.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,941 ¥12.9K

238.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$447 ¥2,975

281.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

-22.00%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 26, 2026

Last update for Benxi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Benxi

$189 27.4% 64.2% $340

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Benxi

$179 25.9% 22% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Benxi

$79 11.4% 46.1% $68

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Benxi

$79 11.5% 27.1% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Benxi

$71 10.3% 12.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Benxi

$78 11.3% 26.6% $16

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Benxi

$16 2.3% 59% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $137 in Benxi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Beijing (Pekin) are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $22 in Benxi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $179 – making Benxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Benxi

🕒 Local time

05:07 5:07 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

809,655

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Beijing (Pekin) Benxi 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,796 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,039 in Benxi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benxi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $22 in Benxi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin) and $692 in Benxi. That makes Benxi about 42% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Benxi, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Benxi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Benxi – 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 Benxi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.