Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Dalian

For one person, living is cheaper in Dalian: $920 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Beijing (Pekin) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
Learn more

Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Dalian
Learn more

Dalian Living Index

Jump to prices

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Dalian

🇨🇳 China

$920

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $920 in Dalian, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Dalian $920

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,454 in Dalian, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Dalian $1,454

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,989 in Dalian, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Dalian $1,989

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 29% more than Dalian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Dalian are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Dalian 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.31

$3.67 ¥24.51

23.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥202

$25.06 ¥168

20.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$5.22 ¥34.90

2.68%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.84

$3.35 ¥22.40

6.57%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.48 ¥3.20

6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.25 ¥1.68

12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$0.96 ¥6.41

23.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.52 ¥10.13

12.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$1.62 ¥10.86

7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$1.50 ¥10.05

18.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.97 ¥6.50

32.99%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.59 ¥10.65

22.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.5

$20.82 ¥139

-31.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$3.40 ¥22.75

-2.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$12.85 ¥85.9

-13.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$1.32 ¥8.85

60.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.13 ¥7.53

53.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.98

$2.03 ¥13.57

2.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$0.89 ¥5.95

73.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.90 ¥6.03

-23.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$0.72 ¥4.84

26.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$1.32 ¥8.85

-43.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.66 ¥4.42

-7.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.52

$3.70 ¥24.73

15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥93.0

$15.06 ¥101

-7.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$1.10 ¥7.32

-7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.92 ¥12.86

-5.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$0.31 ¥2.09

122.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥233

$29.65 ¥198

17.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.53 ¥10.22

24.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.44 ¥2.94

-20.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.68

$4.20 ¥28.09

73.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.25 ¥8.37

6.40%

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

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$19.4K ¥129.6K

1.27%

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

$18.0K ¥120.6K

$17.9K ¥119.8K

0.67%

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

$59.1 ¥395

$65.2 ¥436

-9.39%

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

$8.77 ¥58.7

$9.34 ¥62.5

-6.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$13.30 ¥88.9

6.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

$40.35 ¥270

1.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$36.09 ¥241

-31.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.74

$6.93 ¥46.31

7.36%

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

$654 ¥4,375

$396 ¥2,648

65.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.5K

$20.4K ¥136.1K

17.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥476

$74.2 ¥496

-4.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥268

$55.7 ¥373

-28.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥590

$112 ¥748

-21.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥846

$118 ¥789

7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

$409 ¥2,736

130.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

$243 ¥1,624

115.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$715 ¥4,783

230.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

$452 ¥3,019

148.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥82.0K

$2,694 ¥18.0K

355.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.1K

$1,636 ¥10.9K

294.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$1,097 ¥7,334

56.37%

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 Dalian: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Dalian

$243 26.4% 53.6% $281

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Dalian

$242 26.4% 6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Dalian

$162 17.6% 10.4% $15

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Dalian

$96 10.4% 10.9% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Dalian

$88 9.6% 7% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Dalian

$54 5.9% 3.1% $1.7

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Dalian

$35 3.8% 16.1% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $409 in Dalian. 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 56% 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 $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $25.00 in Dalian. Groceries tell a different story – $229 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $242 in Dalian – so Beijing (Pekin) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Dalian

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

7,450,785

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Beijing (Pekin) Dalian 460 km

From you

Beijing (Pekin)
Dalian

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Dalian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 29%, 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 $1,379 in Dalian. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dalian, 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 $25.00 in Dalian. 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 $920 in Dalian. That's a gap of about 29%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dalian, where all-in costs run around $920, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Dalian it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dalian – 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 Dalian. 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.