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 $1,097 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $682 in Chuzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,790 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,093 in Chuzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,484 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,503 in Chuzhou, rent included.

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

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Chuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 18% lower, Chuzhou 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 ¥27.42

$2.08 ¥14.03

95.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.60 ¥186

$21.31 ¥144

29.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.66

$4.97 ¥33.56

6.24%

Cappuccino

$3.10 ¥20.95

$2.07 ¥14.00

49.76%

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

$0.42 ¥2.85

$0.41 ¥2.78

2.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.26 ¥1.77

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ¥7.34

$0.44 ¥2.94

147.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ¥14.32

$1.40 ¥9.48

51.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.78

$1.43 ¥9.63

21.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.26

$2.16 ¥14.59

-22.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 ¥7.55

$0.76 ¥5.12

47.37%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.57

$1.53 ¥10.32

11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ¥108

$9.32 ¥62.9

71.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ¥21.44

$2.85 ¥19.23

11.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 ¥65.4

$9.00 ¥60.8

7.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.49

$2.23 ¥15.07

-3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ¥11.08

$1.38 ¥9.35

18.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.02

$1.64 ¥11.09

8.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 ¥9.01

$1.20 ¥8.12

10.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.81

$0.93 ¥6.30

-7.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.26

$0.93 ¥6.25

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.53

$0.81 ¥5.45

-17.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.74

$0.57 ¥3.87

-3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ¥24.07

$3.58 ¥24.18

-0.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 ¥100

$13.04 ¥88.1

13.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.82

$0.92 ¥6.22

-6.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.17

$1.56 ¥10.57

15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 ¥3.70

$0.27 ¥1.82

103.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.71 ¥214

$16.61 ¥112

90.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 ¥11.95

$1.56 ¥10.56

13.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.21

$0.38 ¥2.60

-13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.42 ¥70.4

$8.50 ¥57.5

22.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥7.35

$1.12 ¥7.59

-2.68%

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

$18.5K ¥124.7K

$17.3K ¥117.2K

6.43%

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

$15.9K ¥107.3K

$14.3K ¥96.8K

10.75%

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

$52.8 ¥356

$42.54 ¥287

24.02%

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

$9.10 ¥61.4

$9.49 ¥64.1

-4.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.77 ¥86.3

$11.10 ¥75.0

15.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.21 ¥332

$41.62 ¥281

18.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 ¥122

$13.78 ¥93.1

31.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.13 ¥54.9

$5.49 ¥37.11

48.09%

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

$675 ¥4,558

$409 ¥2,763

64.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K ¥159.2K

$18.5K ¥125.2K

27.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 ¥417

$43.02 ¥291

43.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.07 ¥230

$33.37 ¥225

2.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 ¥535

$68.2 ¥461

16.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ¥679

$83.0 ¥561

21.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 ¥6,138

$284 ¥1,916

220.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ¥3,020

$189 ¥1,275

136.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 ¥13.2K

$593 ¥4,003

228.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 ¥7,356

$355 ¥2,400

206.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K ¥85.7K

$3,061 ¥20.7K

314.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,117 ¥41.3K

$1,709 ¥11.5K

257.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,579 ¥10.7K

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): July 25, 2026

Last update for Chuzhou: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $909 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $284 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: $224 vs $195 – 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 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 $1,645 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,022 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 $1,097 in Beijing (Pekin) and $682 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 $682, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,097. 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.