Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $1,178 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,178

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,178 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $520 in Delhi, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,178
Delhi $520

A couple spends around $1,895 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $858 in Delhi, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,895
Delhi $858

A family of three spends $2,612 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,195 in Delhi, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,612
Delhi $1,195

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 127% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 ¥30.34

$3.67 ₹355

23.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.25 ¥196

$20.95 ₹2,027

39.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 ¥35.54

$3.74 ₹362

42.25%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ¥23.53

$2.33 ₹226

51.07%

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

$0.53 ¥3.56

$0.37 ₹35.82

43.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.20 ₹18.91

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$2.02 ₹195

-39.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.13

$3.19 ₹308

-47.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ¥11.14

$0.68 ₹65.9

145.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$0.52 ₹50.2

240.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.83 ₹80.0

55.42%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥13.65

$1.07 ₹104

90.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.52 ¥97.0

$4.43 ₹428

227.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ¥21.43

$3.37 ₹326

-4.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥75.1

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.94

$1.99 ₹192

5.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.50

$0.72 ₹70.1

138.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ¥13.42

$1.02 ₹98.4

97.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.36

$0.52 ₹50.1

198.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.51

$0.27 ₹25.96

148.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.69

$0.37 ₹35.42

129.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ¥4.96

$0.43 ₹41.64

72.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.31 ₹30.39

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 ¥29.52

$4.92 ₹476

-10.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 ¥92.5

$8.34 ₹808

65.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$1.64 ₹159

-37.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$2.70 ₹261

-32.96%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 ¥4.30

$0.46 ₹44.04

39.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.88 ¥233

$15.29 ₹1,480

128.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 ¥13.23

$1.03 ₹99.8

92.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.34

$0.27 ₹26.38

29.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 ¥51.1

$1.53 ₹148

400.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.50

$1.05 ₹102

20.95%

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

$19.6K ¥130.9K

$10.5K ₹1.0M

87.24%

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

$18.1K ¥121.2K

$18.4K ₹1.8M

-1.29%

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

$59.0 ¥394

$42.67 ₹4,129

38.27%

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

$8.94 ¥59.8

$4.04 ₹391

121.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.15 ¥94.6

$6.75 ₹653

109.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥272

$19.40 ₹1,878

110.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.56 ¥164

$8.06 ₹780

204.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.38 ¥49.29

$5.08 ₹492

45.28%

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

$650 ¥4,346

$100 ₹9,696

549.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.5K

$2,268 ₹219.5K

979.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 ¥471

$24.14 ₹2,336

191.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.51 ¥271

$28.38 ₹2,747

42.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 ¥585

$53.3 ₹5,160

64.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 ¥829

$44.13 ₹4,271

180.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,236

$264 ₹25.5K

253.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$518 ¥3,463

$154 ₹14.9K

236.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,387 ¥16.0K

$736 ₹71.2K

224.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 ¥7,642

$397 ₹38.5K

187.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.6K ¥84.0K

$2,494 ₹241.4K

403.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,393 ¥42.7K

$1,017 ₹98.4K

528.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,710 ¥11.4K

$585 ₹56.7K

192.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.21

8.33

-61.46%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 5, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$518 44%

Delhi

$154 29.7% 70.3% $364

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$228 19.4%

Delhi

$108 20.8% 52.6% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$145 12.3%

Delhi

$67 13% 53.5% $78

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$107 9.1%

Delhi

$87 16.8% 18.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 7%

Delhi

$53 10.3% 34.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 46.7% $26

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 52.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $264 in Delhi. 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 192% 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 $29.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $21.00 in Delhi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $108 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

08:18 8:18 AM

2 h 30 min behind Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Beijing (Pekin) Delhi 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Beijing (Pekin)
Delhi

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 Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 127%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,768 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $780 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, 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 $29.00 in Beijing (Pekin) and $21.00 in Delhi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,178 in Beijing (Pekin) and $520 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 127%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,178. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Delhi – 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 Delhi. 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.