Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Bortala

For one person, living is cheaper in Bortala: $758 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Bortala
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Bortala Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Bortala

🇨🇳 China

$758

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $758 in Bortala, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Bortala $758

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,168 in Bortala, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Bortala $1,168

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,577 in Bortala, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Bortala $1,577

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 58% more than Bortala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Bortala are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Bortala 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.31

$2.99 ¥19.82

47.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$22.84 ¥152

29.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.66

$4.86 ¥32.25

10.49%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.75

$2.79 ¥18.49

33.69%

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

$0.56 ¥3.70

$0.48 ¥3.17

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.32 ¥2.10

-9.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.89

$1.11 ¥7.37

7.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.51

$2.16 ¥14.31

-19.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.39

$1.87 ¥12.42

-8.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.77

$1.59 ¥10.55

11.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.59

$0.95 ¥6.28

35.79%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.71

$1.60 ¥10.65

19.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.6

$13.42 ¥89.1

9.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.40

$3.36 ¥22.32

-4.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.5

$11.29 ¥74.9

-0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.11

$1.89 ¥12.51

12.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.85

$1.34 ¥8.86

33.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.59

$1.51 ¥10.00

35.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.16

$1.26 ¥8.34

21.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.88

$0.75 ¥4.98

-1.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.98 ¥6.48

-6.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.58

$0.59 ¥3.94

16.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.03

$0.59 ¥3.89

3.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.50

$3.71 ¥24.64

19.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥92.9

$11.52 ¥76.5

21.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.83

$0.88 ¥5.87

17.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥11.98

$1.55 ¥10.28

16.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.88

$0.28 ¥1.87

110.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$15.99 ¥106

103.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.29

$1.57 ¥10.44

27.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$0.32 ¥2.15

3.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.0

$7.15 ¥47.47

7.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.62

$1.17 ¥7.79

11.11%

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

$19.7K ¥131.0K

$19.4K ¥128.8K

1.73%

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

$18.0K ¥119.5K

$15.2K ¥100.7K

18.67%

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

$58.8 ¥391

$57.1 ¥379

3.01%

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

$8.71 ¥57.8

$8.48 ¥56.3

2.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.3

$11.13 ¥73.9

30.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥310

$41.95 ¥278

11.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥162

$14.98 ¥99.4

63.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.5

$6.53 ¥43.32

16.39%

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

$985 ¥6,538

$453 ¥3,008

117.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥162.7K

$19.3K ¥128.2K

26.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥478

$42.79 ¥284

68.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥267

$30.92 ¥205

30.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥576

$75.6 ¥502

14.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥837

$68.3 ¥453

84.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,193

$291 ¥1,929

221.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,514

$214 ¥1,417

147.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.1K

$582 ¥3,864

291.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,273

$343 ¥2,277

219.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.4K

$3,687 ¥24.5K

220.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.6K

$1,825 ¥12.1K

259.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.3K

$625 ¥4,149

173.05%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Bortala: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Bortala

$214 28.2% 59.7% $316

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Bortala

$210 27.7% 8.7% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Bortala

$98 12.9% 33.1% $48

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Bortala

$85 11.2% 22.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Bortala

$77 10.1% 6.5% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Bortala

$55 7.3% 11.1% $6.9

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Bortala

$20 2.7% 47.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $291 in Bortala. 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 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $23 in Bortala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $210 – making Bortala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Bortala

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

246,706

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Beijing (Pekin) Bortala 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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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 Bortala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 58%, 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 $1,137 in Bortala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bortala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $291 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $23 in Bortala. 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 $758 in Bortala. That makes Bortala about 37% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Bortala – 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 Bortala. 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.