Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Cixi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cixi: $709 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Cixi
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Cixi Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Cixi

🇨🇳 China

$709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $709 in Cixi, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Cixi $709

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,125 in Cixi, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Cixi $1,125

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,542 in Cixi, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Cixi $1,542

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 67% more than Cixi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Cixi are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Cixi 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.31

$2.75 ¥18.38

64.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥202

$21.47 ¥144

40.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$4.78 ¥31.99

12.13%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.84

$2.98 ¥19.94

19.80%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.43 ¥2.88

18.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.29 ¥1.94

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$0.94 ¥6.30

26.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.43

$2.12 ¥14.19

-19.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$1.87 ¥12.50

-6.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$1.57 ¥10.48

12.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.97 ¥6.51

32.99%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.54 ¥10.30

26.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.5

$12.61 ¥84.3

13.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$3.12 ¥20.89

6.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$10.08 ¥67.4

10.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$1.81 ¥12.10

17.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.25 ¥8.36

38.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.98

$1.54 ¥10.30

35.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$1.09 ¥7.29

41.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.70 ¥4.65

-1.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$0.94 ¥6.30

-3.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$0.59 ¥3.96

27.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.54 ¥3.63

12.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.52

$3.05 ¥20.39

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥93.0

$10.52 ¥70.3

32.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$0.74 ¥4.93

37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.64 ¥10.96

10.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$0.29 ¥1.96

137.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥233

$16.43 ¥110

111.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.43 ¥9.54

32.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.36 ¥2.38

-2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.68

$6.57 ¥43.90

10.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.13 ¥7.54

17.70%

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

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$19.1K ¥127.9K

2.64%

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

$18.0K ¥120.6K

$17.4K ¥116.5K

3.50%

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

$59.1 ¥395

$45.68 ¥305

29.29%

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

$8.77 ¥58.7

$9.85 ¥65.8

-10.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$11.86 ¥79.3

19.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

$41.22 ¥276

-0.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$13.86 ¥92.7

79.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.74

$5.82 ¥38.92

27.84%

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

$654 ¥4,375

$334 ¥2,231

96.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.5K

$16.5K ¥110.6K

45.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥476

$42.93 ¥287

65.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥268

$30.21 ¥202

32.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥590

$71.7 ¥479

23.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥846

$72.1 ¥482

75.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

$280 ¥1,875

236.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

$190 ¥1,268

176.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$590 ¥3,942

300.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

$358 ¥2,394

213.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥82.0K

$3,020 ¥20.2K

306.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.1K

$2,070 ¥13.8K

211.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.89

-19.79%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 17, 2026

Last update for Cixi: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Cixi

$190 26.7% 63.8% $334

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Cixi

$197 27.8% 13.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Cixi

$98 13.8% 33.5% $49

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Cixi

$84 11.8% 22% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Cixi

$67 9.5% 17.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Cixi

$53 7.5% 5.5% $3.1

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Cixi

$21 2.9% 49.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $280 in Cixi. 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 $21.00 in Cixi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $197 – making Cixi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Cixi

🕒 Local time

10:53 10:53 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

1,829,488

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Beijing (Pekin) Cixi 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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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 Cixi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,064 in Cixi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cixi, 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 $21.00 in Cixi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin) and $709 in Cixi. That's a gap of about 67%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cixi, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Cixi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cixi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cixi. 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.