Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Datong

For one person, living is cheaper in Datong: $709 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Datong
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Datong Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Datong

🇨🇳 China

$709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $709 in Datong, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Datong $709

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,127 in Datong, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Datong $1,127

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,545 in Datong, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Datong $1,545

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 69% more than Datong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Datong are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Datong 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$2.74 ¥18.23

61.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$21.65 ¥144

37.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$4.98 ¥33.15

7.83%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$2.95 ¥19.65

26.44%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.46 ¥3.08

21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.27 ¥1.77

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$0.88 ¥5.88

35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$2.03 ¥13.50

-14.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.43

$1.80 ¥11.99

-4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$1.55 ¥10.28

14.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$0.96 ¥6.36

34.38%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.61 ¥10.71

18.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$13.09 ¥87.1

12.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$3.23 ¥21.48

-0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$10.09 ¥67.1

11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$1.81 ¥12.01

17.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.89

$1.20 ¥8.01

49.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.50 ¥9.98

36.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.14 ¥7.57

34.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.73 ¥4.87

1.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.92 ¥6.12

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.56 ¥3.70

23.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.51 ¥3.42

19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$3.10 ¥20.62

43.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$10.40 ¥69.2

34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.76 ¥5.05

35.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.64 ¥10.91

9.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.27 ¥1.77

118.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$16.53 ¥110

96.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.41 ¥9.35

41.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.35 ¥2.35

-5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$6.70 ¥44.57

14.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.17 ¥7.80

11.11%

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

$19.7K ¥131.4K

$19.4K ¥129.2K

1.70%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$17.2K ¥114.2K

4.92%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$45.68 ¥304

28.81%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$9.63 ¥64.1

-9.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$11.68 ¥77.8

24.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$41.21 ¥274

13.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$13.73 ¥91.4

78.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$5.87 ¥39.05

29.47%

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

$985 ¥6,556

$337 ¥2,242

192.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

$17.0K ¥113.2K

44.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$43.28 ¥288

66.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$30.52 ¥203

31.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$72.2 ¥480

20.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$72.7 ¥484

73.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$274 ¥1,821

240.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,524

$189 ¥1,257

180.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$594 ¥3,955

283.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,293

$358 ¥2,383

206.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$3,019 ¥20.1K

291.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$2,019 ¥13.4K

225.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Datong: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Datong

$189 26.6% 64.3% $341

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Datong

$198 27.9% 14% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Datong

$98 13.9% 32.7% $48

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Datong

$84 11.8% 23.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Datong

$67 9.5% 18.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Datong

$53 7.5% 14.5% $9

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Datong

$21 2.9% 46.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $274 in Datong. 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 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $22 in Datong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $198 – making Datong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Datong

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

3,318,057

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Datong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,796 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,064 in Datong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Datong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $274 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $22 in Datong. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin) and $709 in Datong. That makes Datong about 41% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Datong, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Datong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Datong is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 41% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.