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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,058 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $692 in Chuzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,769 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,094 in Chuzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,481 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,495 in Chuzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 53% more than Chuzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Chuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 21% lower, Chuzhou 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.21 ¥28.47

$2.07 ¥14.03

103.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.89 ¥189

$20.85 ¥141

33.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.41 ¥36.61

$4.93 ¥33.33

9.74%

Cappuccino

$3.10 ¥20.99

$2.08 ¥14.06

49.04%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.42 ¥2.81

2.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.26 ¥1.76

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ¥7.41

$0.41 ¥2.77

168.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ¥14.32

$1.43 ¥9.64

48.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.18

$1.38 ¥9.31

19.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ¥10.65

$2.18 ¥14.71

-27.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.25

$0.80 ¥5.41

33.75%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.61

$1.54 ¥10.43

11.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.52 ¥105

$8.90 ¥60.2

74.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ¥21.43

$2.70 ¥18.28

17.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 ¥66.5

$8.79 ¥59.4

11.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.57

$2.14 ¥14.50

0.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ¥10.81

$1.42 ¥9.60

12.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.68

$1.58 ¥10.69

9.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 ¥8.96

$1.16 ¥7.86

14.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.32

$0.92 ¥6.21

-14.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.66

$0.90 ¥6.09

8.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.58

$0.87 ¥5.88

-21.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ¥3.54

$0.56 ¥3.80

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ¥24.04

$3.46 ¥23.42

2.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 ¥99.6

$13.29 ¥89.8

10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.78

$0.92 ¥6.25

-6.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.25

$1.55 ¥10.51

16.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ¥3.67

$0.29 ¥1.97

86.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.60 ¥214

$16.73 ¥113

88.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ¥12.55

$1.51 ¥10.23

23.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.37

$0.35 ¥2.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.64 ¥71.9

$8.40 ¥56.8

26.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥7.38

$1.17 ¥7.90

-6.84%

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

$18.5K ¥124.9K

$17.0K ¥114.8K

8.79%

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

$15.7K ¥106.3K

$14.7K ¥99.4K

6.96%

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

$51.2 ¥347

$42.61 ¥288

20.25%

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

$8.60 ¥58.2

$9.61 ¥65.0

-10.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.76 ¥86.3

$11.04 ¥74.7

15.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 ¥338

$42.42 ¥287

17.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.99 ¥122

$13.87 ¥93.8

29.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 ¥55.1

$5.60 ¥37.84

45.54%

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

$661 ¥4,471

$399 ¥2,697

65.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K ¥158.6K

$18.7K ¥126.3K

25.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 ¥421

$42.32 ¥286

47.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ¥236

$33.03 ¥223

5.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 ¥525

$68.8 ¥465

12.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥687

$84.7 ¥573

19.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 ¥6,171

$277 ¥1,871

229.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,066

$189 ¥1,277

140.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 ¥13.3K

$599 ¥4,050

229.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 ¥7,325

$365 ¥2,469

196.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K ¥85.8K

$3,609 ¥24.4K

251.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,152 ¥41.6K

$2,026 ¥13.7K

203.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,556 ¥10.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

3.87

-5.94%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): June 7, 2026

Last update for Chuzhou: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $913 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $277 in Chuzhou. 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 $28.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $21.00 in Chuzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $220 vs $192 – making Chuzhou 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 Chuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 53%, 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 $1,587 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,038 in Chuzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chuzhou, 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 $28.00 in Beijing (Pekin) and $21.00 in Chuzhou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,058 in Beijing (Pekin) and $692 in Chuzhou. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chuzhou, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,058. In Chuzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chuzhou – 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 Chuzhou. 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.