Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Foshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Foshan: $777 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Foshan
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Foshan Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Foshan

🇨🇳 China

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $777 in Foshan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
Foshan $777

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,242 in Foshan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
Foshan $1,242

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,708 in Foshan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
Foshan $1,708

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 52% more than Foshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Foshan are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Foshan 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ¥29.86

$3.78 ¥25.26

18.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥198

$22.79 ¥152

30.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ¥34.80

$5.11 ¥34.19

1.96%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥24.86

$3.07 ¥20.50

21.17%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.52 ¥3.49

-3.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.31 ¥2.09

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$1.22 ¥8.17

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$1.89 ¥12.61

-12.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$1.66 ¥11.11

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.12 ¥7.48

57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$0.92 ¥6.16

38.04%

Eggs

$1.88 ¥12.55

$1.70 ¥11.38

10.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$16.68 ¥112

-12.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.03

$3.92 ¥26.18

-19.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ¥73.8

$10.69 ¥71.5

3.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$3.01 ¥20.16

-32.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.27 ¥8.51

35.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.90 ¥12.69

9.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$1.63 ¥10.91

-4.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$1.09 ¥7.27

-33.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$0.95 ¥6.38

-10.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.64 ¥4.26

7.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.50 ¥3.36

22.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ¥28.88

$2.23 ¥14.89

93.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$10.23 ¥68.4

37.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$0.93 ¥6.24

8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$1.51 ¥10.13

20.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.31 ¥2.08

125.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.48 ¥231

$10.62 ¥71.0

224.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ¥12.84

$1.52 ¥10.18

26.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.47 ¥3.15

-29.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$8.81 ¥58.9

-12.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.22 ¥8.19

9.84%

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

$19.3K ¥128.9K

$21.3K ¥142.3K

-9.41%

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

$18.3K ¥122.3K

$16.2K ¥108.3K

12.97%

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

$57.3 ¥383

$84.5 ¥565

-32.18%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$7.92 ¥53.0

15.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$15.69 ¥105

-9.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

$71.4 ¥477

-40.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥165

$23.83 ¥159

3.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 ¥49.48

$5.31 ¥35.50

39.36%

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

$660 ¥4,410

$457 ¥3,054

44.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.9K

$23.3K ¥155.8K

3.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ¥467

$42.21 ¥282

65.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ¥265

$18.76 ¥125

111.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ¥594

$62.1 ¥415

43.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥849

$91.8 ¥614

38.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 ¥6,286

$304 ¥2,031

209.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$159 ¥1,061

230.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 ¥15.5K

$596 ¥3,982

289.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 ¥7,542

$341 ¥2,279

230.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥82.8K

$4,329 ¥28.9K

185.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ¥42.0K

$1,864 ¥12.5K

237.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ¥11.5K

$802 ¥5,362

113.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.83

-18.54%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 11, 2026

Last update for Foshan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2%

Foshan

$159 20.4% 69.7% $365

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2%

Foshan

$220 28.4% 2.9% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4%

Foshan

$97 12.4% 33.9% $50

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Foshan

$96 12.3% 11.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8%

Foshan

$108 13.9% 34% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8%

Foshan

$82 10.6% 43.5% $25

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Foshan

$16 2% 61.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $304 in Foshan. 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 114% 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 $23.00 in Foshan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $220 – making Foshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Foshan

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

9,498,863

💱 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) Foshan 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

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Beijing (Pekin)
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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 Foshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,166 in Foshan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Foshan, 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 $23.00 in Foshan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin) and $777 in Foshan. That's a gap of about 52%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Foshan, where all-in costs run around $777, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Foshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Foshan – 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 Foshan. 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.