Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Chengdu

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $726 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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 Chengdu
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Chengdu Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $726 in Chengdu, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Chengdu $726

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,170 in Chengdu, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Chengdu $1,170

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,614 in Chengdu, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Chengdu $1,614

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 65% more than Chengdu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Chengdu 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.38

$2.92 ¥19.43

51.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$22.28 ¥148

33.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.75

$4.85 ¥32.28

10.72%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$3.00 ¥19.94

24.33%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.51 ¥3.39

9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.26 ¥1.73

11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$1.51 ¥10.06

-21.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$2.28 ¥15.20

-24.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.42

$1.85 ¥12.29

-7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.79

$1.49 ¥9.89

18.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$0.99 ¥6.58

30.30%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.61 ¥10.70

18.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$14.31 ¥95.2

2.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$3.64 ¥24.25

-11.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$11.02 ¥73.3

1.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.14

$1.90 ¥12.62

12.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.88

$1.39 ¥9.23

28.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.04 ¥6.91

97.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.20 ¥7.97

27.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.74 ¥4.91

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.69 ¥4.56

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.59

$0.64 ¥4.23

7.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.58 ¥3.83

5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$3.69 ¥24.53

20.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$4.37 ¥29.08

220.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.84 ¥5.58

22.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.48 ¥9.82

21.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.29 ¥1.93

103.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$25.23 ¥168

28.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.32

$1.33 ¥8.83

50.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.31 ¥2.07

6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$4.37 ¥29.07

75.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.27 ¥8.48

2.36%

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

$19.7K ¥131.3K

$19.6K ¥130.7K

0.47%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$18.0K ¥120.1K

-0.25%

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

$58.8 ¥391

$46.65 ¥310

26.13%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$9.40 ¥62.6

-7.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$12.87 ¥85.6

12.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$27.11 ¥180

72.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$11.21 ¥74.6

118.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$6.17 ¥41.02

23.18%

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

$985 ¥6,554

$1,161 ¥7,724

-15.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.1K

$15.3K ¥101.5K

60.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥479

$25.36 ¥169

184.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$27.52 ¥183

46.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$57.1 ¥380

51.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$53.2 ¥354

137.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,208

$425 ¥2,829

119.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,523

$231 ¥1,540

128.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$755 ¥5,026

201.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,291

$478 ¥3,178

129.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$3,476 ¥23.1K

239.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,845 ¥12.3K

255.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$1,278 ¥8,502

33.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.38

-7.69%

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

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

Last update for Chengdu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Chengdu

$231 31.9% 56.3% $298

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Chengdu

$195 26.8% 15.2% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Chengdu

$73 10.1% 49.8% $73

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Chengdu

$89 12.3% 18.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Chengdu

$69 9.5% 16% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Chengdu

$39 5.4% 36.3% $22

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Chengdu

$29 4% 24% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $425 in Chengdu. 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 34% 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 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $22 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $195 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

20,937,757

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Beijing (Pekin) Chengdu 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 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 Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 65%, 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 $1,090 in Chengdu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $22 in Chengdu. 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 $726 in Chengdu. That makes Chengdu about 39% cheaper.

If budget matters most, go with Chengdu. 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.