Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Chenzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Chenzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,178 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $732 in Chenzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,923 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,192 in Chenzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,668 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,652 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 61% more than Chenzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Chenzhou are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Chenzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.28

$3.00 ¥20.08

51.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.85 ¥200

$22.42 ¥150

33.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥34.47

$4.80 ¥32.09

7.29%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ¥23.12

$1.52 ¥10.17

127.63%

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

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.51 ¥3.42

7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.27 ¥1.83

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.07

$1.29 ¥8.60

-6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$1.97 ¥13.15

-17.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.92 ¥12.87

-9.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$2.38 ¥15.95

-23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$0.77 ¥5.17

59.74%

Eggs

$2.06 ¥13.76

$1.74 ¥11.61

18.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 ¥95.0

$13.07 ¥87.4

8.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.23 ¥21.62

$3.90 ¥26.12

-17.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ¥75.8

$11.53 ¥77.2

-1.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 ¥14.10

$0.59 ¥3.94

257.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.07

$1.21 ¥8.09

48.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.92

$0.77 ¥5.12

170.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ¥10.71

$1.18 ¥7.88

35.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.16

$0.96 ¥6.45

-19.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.79

$1.45 ¥9.67

-40.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$0.65 ¥4.32

15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.48 ¥3.21

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ¥28.31

$2.90 ¥19.37

45.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 ¥101

$12.43 ¥83.2

21.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ¥7.04

$1.08 ¥7.21

-2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.22

$1.61 ¥10.79

13.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.61

$0.31 ¥2.08

122.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.59 ¥218

$17.89 ¥120

82.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 ¥13.18

$1.47 ¥9.85

34.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$0.29 ¥1.93

24.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 ¥51.3

$4.39 ¥29.38

74.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$1.23 ¥8.22

3.25%

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

$19.1K ¥127.7K

$19.5K ¥130.7K

-2.27%

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

$18.1K ¥121.0K

$17.3K ¥115.7K

4.57%

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

$56.0 ¥374

$57.4 ¥384

-2.54%

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

$8.86 ¥59.3

$9.33 ¥62.4

-5.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.20 ¥95.0

$11.18 ¥74.8

27.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.62 ¥272

$40.65 ¥272

-0.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.89 ¥160

$14.73 ¥98.5

62.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 ¥51.1

$6.51 ¥43.56

17.36%

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

$623 ¥4,169

$326 ¥2,183

91.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K ¥167.6K

$16.9K ¥113.2K

48.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 ¥440

$83.5 ¥559

-21.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.14 ¥262

$35.22 ¥236

11.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 ¥591

$87.0 ¥582

1.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ¥834

$60.4 ¥404

106.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 ¥6,410

$294 ¥1,968

225.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 ¥3,511

$184 ¥1,229

185.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,307 ¥15.4K

$601 ¥4,020

283.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 ¥7,452

$377 ¥2,521

195.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.5K ¥83.8K

$3,207 ¥21.5K

290.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,315 ¥42.2K

$1,918 ¥12.8K

229.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,655 ¥11.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.21

3.46

-7.23%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): September 20, 2026

Last update for Chenzhou: September 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $958 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $294 in Chenzhou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $22.00 in Chenzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $213 – making Chenzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chenzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 61%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,767 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,098 in Chenzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chenzhou, 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 $22.00 in Chenzhou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,178 in Beijing (Pekin) and $732 in Chenzhou. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chenzhou, where all-in costs run around $732, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,178. In Chenzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chenzhou – 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 Chenzhou. 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.