Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Changsha

For one person, living is cheaper in Changsha: $783 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Changsha
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Changsha Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Changsha

🇨🇳 China

$783

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $783 in Changsha, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Changsha $783

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,282 in Changsha, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Changsha $1,282

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,780 in Changsha, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Changsha $1,780

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 53% more than Changsha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Changsha are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Changsha 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$2.96 ¥19.69

49.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$22.41 ¥149

32.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$4.90 ¥32.60

9.59%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$3.34 ¥22.23

11.68%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.51 ¥3.38

9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.27 ¥1.82

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$1.24 ¥8.24

-4.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$1.90 ¥12.61

-8.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.43

$1.97 ¥13.09

-12.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$2.37 ¥15.77

-25.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$0.94 ¥6.28

37.23%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.72 ¥11.45

11.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$12.99 ¥86.4

13.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$4.10 ¥27.31

-21.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$11.65 ¥77.5

-3.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$2.84 ¥18.91

-25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.89

$1.39 ¥9.27

28.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.93 ¥12.83

6.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$2.02 ¥13.46

-24.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.96 ¥6.39

-22.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.66 ¥11.04

-44.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.65 ¥4.33

6.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.49 ¥3.27

24.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$2.92 ¥19.41

52.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$12.72 ¥84.7

10.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$1.03 ¥6.86

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.54 ¥10.27

16.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.35 ¥2.35

68.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$14.75 ¥98.2

120.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.48 ¥9.83

35.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.31 ¥2.10

6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$4.56 ¥30.32

68.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.26 ¥8.40

3.17%

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

$19.7K ¥131.4K

$19.9K ¥132.1K

-0.59%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$17.8K ¥118.6K

1.02%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$56.1 ¥373

4.87%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$9.08 ¥60.4

-4.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$13.61 ¥90.6

6.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$54.8 ¥365

-14.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$24.80 ¥165

-1.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$6.54 ¥43.55

16.21%

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

$985 ¥6,556

$326 ¥2,172

201.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

$17.2K ¥114.3K

42.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$84.4 ¥562

-14.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$34.62 ¥230

16.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$90.0 ¥599

-3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$61.2 ¥407

106.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$266 ¥1,772

250.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,524

$167 ¥1,111

217.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$559 ¥3,721

307.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,293

$381 ¥2,536

187.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$2,482 ¥16.5K

375.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,414 ¥9,413

364.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$1,104 ¥7,348

54.60%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Changsha: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Changsha

$167 21.3% 68.5% $363

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Changsha

$237 30.3% 3.3% $7.6

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Changsha

$122 15.5% 16.9% $25

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Changsha

$92 11.7% 16% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Changsha

$79 10.1% 4% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Changsha

$68 8.7% 9.7% $6

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Changsha

$19 2.5% 50.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $266 in Changsha. 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 55% higher in Beijing (Pekin). Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $22 in Changsha. Groceries tell a different story – $230 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $237 in Changsha – so Beijing (Pekin) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Changsha

🕒 Local time

04:26 4:26 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

5,289,000

💱 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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Between locations

Beijing (Pekin) Changsha 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Beijing (Pekin)
Changsha

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 Changsha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 53%, 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 $1,175 in Changsha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Changsha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $266 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $22 in Changsha. 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 $783 in Changsha. That makes Changsha about 35% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Changsha – 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 Changsha. 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.