Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Guilin

For one person, living is cheaper in Guilin: $659 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Guilin
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Guilin Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Guilin

🇨🇳 China

$659

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $659 in Guilin, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
Guilin $659

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,058 in Guilin, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
Guilin $1,058

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,457 in Guilin, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
Guilin $1,457

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 80% more than Guilin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Guilin are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Guilin 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ¥29.86

$2.22 ¥14.85

101.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥198

$15.16 ¥101

95.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ¥34.80

$3.05 ¥20.39

70.82%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥24.86

$2.14 ¥14.32

73.83%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.42 ¥2.81

19.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.31 ¥2.08

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$0.81 ¥5.40

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$2.14 ¥14.33

-22.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$1.46 ¥9.77

13.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.25 ¥8.38

40.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$0.62 ¥4.16

104.84%

Eggs

$1.88 ¥12.55

$1.83 ¥12.26

2.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$13.25 ¥88.6

10.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.03

$3.42 ¥22.86

-7.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ¥73.8

$11.19 ¥74.8

-1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$1.46 ¥9.74

38.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.18 ¥7.90

45.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.04 ¥6.92

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$0.94 ¥6.28

64.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.73 ¥4.90

-1.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$0.88 ¥5.89

-3.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.43 ¥2.91

41.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ¥28.88

$3.75 ¥25.10

15.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$13.16 ¥88.0

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$0.84 ¥5.63

20.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$1.45 ¥9.67

25.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.29 ¥1.91

141.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.48 ¥231

$17.97 ¥120

91.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ¥12.84

$1.31 ¥8.73

46.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.29 ¥1.94

13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$7.79 ¥52.1

-1.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.21 ¥8.10

10.74%

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

$19.3K ¥128.9K

$19.2K ¥128.5K

0.29%

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

$18.3K ¥122.3K

$17.4K ¥116.4K

5.06%

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

$57.3 ¥383

$24.59 ¥164

133.10%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$4.89 ¥32.69

86.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$11.49 ¥76.8

23.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

$41.59 ¥278

1.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥165

$14.65 ¥98.0

67.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 ¥49.48

$5.33 ¥35.63

38.84%

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

$660 ¥4,410

$407 ¥2,719

62.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.9K

$15.8K ¥105.5K

53.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ¥467

$43.52 ¥291

60.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ¥265

$31.64 ¥212

25.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ¥594

$75.2 ¥503

18.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥849

$74.2 ¥496

71.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 ¥6,286

$294 ¥1,967

219.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$183 ¥1,226

185.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 ¥15.5K

$624 ¥4,173

271.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 ¥7,542

$372 ¥2,486

203.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥82.8K

$1,334 ¥8,916

828.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ¥42.0K

$1,980 ¥13.2K

217.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ¥11.5K

$497 ¥3,322

244.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.36

-7.14%

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

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

Last update for Guilin: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2%

Guilin

$183 27.8% 65% $340

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2%

Guilin

$196 29.7% 13.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4%

Guilin

$101 15.3% 31% $45

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Guilin

$64 9.7% 40.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8%

Guilin

$41 6.2% 49.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8%

Guilin

$52 7.9% 8.6% $4.9

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Guilin

$22 3.3% 46.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $294 in Guilin. 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 245% 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 $15.00 in Guilin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $196 – making Guilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Guilin

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

4,931,137

💱 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) Guilin 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 80%, 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 $989 in Guilin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guilin, 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 $15.00 in Guilin. 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 $659 in Guilin. That's a gap of about 80%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guilin, where all-in costs run around $659, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Guilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guilin – 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 Guilin. 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.