Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Fuzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuzhou: $762 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Fuzhou
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Fuzhou Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Fuzhou

🇨🇳 China

$762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $762 in Fuzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
Fuzhou $762

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,227 in Fuzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
Fuzhou $1,227

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,692 in Fuzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
Fuzhou $1,692

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 55% more than Fuzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Fuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Fuzhou 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ¥29.86

$3.06 ¥20.47

46.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥198

$23.06 ¥154

28.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ¥34.80

$5.08 ¥33.98

2.56%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥24.86

$2.50 ¥16.74

48.80%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.47 ¥3.12

6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.27 ¥1.78

-3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$0.86 ¥5.73

36.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$1.74 ¥11.66

-4.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$2.06 ¥13.81

-19.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.41 ¥9.43

24.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$0.93 ¥6.23

36.56%

Eggs

$1.88 ¥12.55

$1.55 ¥10.39

21.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$7.65 ¥51.1

91.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.03

$2.18 ¥14.58

44.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ¥73.8

$8.97 ¥60.0

22.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$1.80 ¥12.07

12.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.32 ¥8.81

30.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.68 ¥11.22

23.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$1.07 ¥7.14

44.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.84 ¥5.63

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$1.01 ¥6.75

-15.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.44 ¥2.93

56.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.52 ¥3.49

17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ¥28.88

$3.01 ¥20.13

43.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$10.99 ¥73.5

28.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$0.72 ¥4.81

40.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$1.22 ¥8.13

49.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.29 ¥1.93

141.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.48 ¥231

$23.66 ¥158

45.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ¥12.84

$1.52 ¥10.14

26.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.29 ¥1.91

13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$7.28 ¥48.68

5.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.25 ¥8.37

7.20%

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

$19.3K ¥128.9K

$19.4K ¥129.7K

-0.60%

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

$18.3K ¥122.3K

$15.6K ¥104.1K

17.53%

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

$57.3 ¥383

$43.17 ¥289

32.78%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$8.53 ¥57.1

7.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$8.94 ¥59.8

59.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

$42.27 ¥283

0.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥165

$14.76 ¥98.7

66.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 ¥49.48

$7.38 ¥49.31

0.27%

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

$660 ¥4,410

$209 ¥1,395

216.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.9K

$12.1K ¥81.0K

99.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ¥467

$39.90 ¥267

74.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ¥265

$29.42 ¥197

34.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ¥594

$90.5 ¥605

-1.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥849

$86.9 ¥581

45.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 ¥6,286

$458 ¥3,060

105.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$250 ¥1,672

109.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 ¥15.5K

$1,038 ¥6,939

123.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 ¥7,542

$514 ¥3,438

119.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥82.8K

$4,514 ¥30.2K

174.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ¥42.0K

$2,346 ¥15.7K

167.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ¥11.5K

$1,006 ¥6,728

70.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.46

-9.83%

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

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

Last update for Fuzhou: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2%

Fuzhou

$250 32.8% 52.2% $274

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2%

Fuzhou

$175 23% 22.9% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4%

Fuzhou

$111 14.6% 24.1% $35

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Fuzhou

$80 10.6% 25.6% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8%

Fuzhou

$61 8% 24.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8%

Fuzhou

$57 7.5% 0.2% $0.1

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Fuzhou

$28 3.6% 32% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $458 in Fuzhou. 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 70% 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 Fuzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $175 – making Fuzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Fuzhou

🕒 Local time

02:27 2:27 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

8,291,268

💱 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) Fuzhou 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,143 in Fuzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fuzhou, 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 Fuzhou. 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 $762 in Fuzhou. That's a gap of about 55%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fuzhou, where all-in costs run around $762, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Fuzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Fuzhou – 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 Fuzhou. 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.