Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Changde

For one person, living is cheaper in Changde: $650 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Changde
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Changde Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Changde

🇨🇳 China

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $650 in Changde, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
Changde $650

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,126 in Changde, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
Changde $1,126

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,602 in Changde, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
Changde $1,602

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 82% more than Changde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Changde are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Changde 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ¥29.86

$2.20 ¥14.70

103.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥198

$17.66 ¥118

67.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ¥34.80

$5.04 ¥33.67

3.37%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥24.86

$2.37 ¥15.81

56.96%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.44 ¥2.92

13.64%

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

$1.17 ¥7.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$1.98 ¥13.26

-16.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$1.48 ¥9.89

11.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$2.29 ¥15.30

-23.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$0.87 ¥5.80

45.98%

Eggs

$1.88 ¥12.55

$1.73 ¥11.58

8.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$12.86 ¥86.0

13.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.03

$4.06 ¥27.16

-22.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ¥73.8

$11.46 ¥76.6

-3.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$1.62 ¥10.82

24.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.22 ¥8.18

40.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.10 ¥7.36

89.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$0.87 ¥5.79

78.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.63 ¥4.19

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$0.74 ¥4.94

14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.39 ¥2.60

76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.52 ¥3.48

17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ¥28.88

$3.03 ¥20.28

42.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$12.74 ¥85.2

10.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$1.03 ¥6.91

-1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$0.73 ¥4.88

149.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.29 ¥1.94

141.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.48 ¥231

$17.85 ¥119

93.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ¥12.84

$1.18 ¥7.87

62.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.31 ¥2.08

6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$4.36 ¥29.18

75.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.30 ¥8.72

3.08%

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

$19.3K ¥128.9K

$19.1K ¥127.5K

1.13%

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

$18.3K ¥122.3K

$17.9K ¥120.0K

1.95%

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

$57.3 ¥383

$55.6 ¥372

3.15%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$9.17 ¥61.3

-0.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$11.23 ¥75.1

26.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

$42.44 ¥284

-0.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥165

$14.76 ¥98.7

66.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 ¥49.48

$5.81 ¥38.86

27.37%

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

$660 ¥4,410

$328 ¥2,191

101.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.9K

$16.7K ¥111.5K

45.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ¥467

$84.9 ¥568

-17.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ¥265

$34.85 ¥233

13.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ¥594

$89.0 ¥595

-0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥849

$59.6 ¥398

113.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 ¥6,286

$132 ¥886

609.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$95.4 ¥638

449.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 ¥15.5K

$617 ¥4,127

275.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 ¥7,542

$373 ¥2,492

202.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥82.8K

$3,949 ¥26.4K

213.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ¥42.0K

$1,977 ¥13.2K

217.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ¥11.5K

$745 ¥4,980

129.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.46

-9.83%

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

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

Last update for Changde: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2%

Changde

$95 14.7% 81.8% $428

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2%

Changde

$209 32.1% 8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4%

Changde

$121 18.6% 17.5% $26

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Changde

$74 11.3% 31.9% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8%

Changde

$76 11.7% 5.8% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8%

Changde

$54 8.3% 5.4% $3.1

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Changde

$22 3.3% 46.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $132 in Changde. 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 130% 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 $18.00 in Changde. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $209 – making Changde the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Changde

🕒 Local time

07:01 7:01 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

5,717,200

💱 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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Between locations

Beijing (Pekin) Changde 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $975 in Changde. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) and $18.00 in Changde. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin) and $650 in Changde. That's a gap of about 82%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Changde, where all-in costs run around $650, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Changde it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Changde – 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 Changde. 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.