Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Handan

For one person, living is cheaper in Handan: $691 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Handan
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Handan Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Handan

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $691 in Handan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Handan $691

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,040 in Handan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Handan $1,040

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,390 in Handan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Handan $1,390

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 73% more than Handan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Handan are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Handan 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$1.83 ¥12.17

141.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$17.67 ¥118

67.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$4.45 ¥29.63

20.67%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$2.68 ¥17.82

39.18%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.42 ¥2.82

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.23 ¥1.53

26.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$0.71 ¥4.75

67.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$1.48 ¥9.83

16.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.43

$1.52 ¥10.10

13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$0.73 ¥4.86

142.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$0.73 ¥4.88

76.71%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$0.98 ¥6.49

94.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$11.99 ¥79.8

22.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$2.97 ¥19.78

8.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$11.18 ¥74.4

0.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$1.41 ¥9.39

51.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.89

$0.63 ¥4.17

184.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.44 ¥9.57

42.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.14 ¥7.61

34.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.31 ¥2.08

138.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.31 ¥2.06

196.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.56 ¥3.75

23.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.38 ¥2.54

60.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$3.74 ¥24.86

18.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$10.07 ¥67.0

39.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.70 ¥4.69

47.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.36 ¥9.05

32.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.31 ¥2.08

90.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$18.24 ¥121

78.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$0.94 ¥6.25

112.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.27 ¥1.81

22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$4.44 ¥29.53

72.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.32 ¥8.75

-1.52%

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

$19.7K ¥131.4K

$19.5K ¥130.0K

1.08%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$14.9K ¥99.0K

20.98%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$73.0 ¥486

-19.36%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$4.58 ¥30.47

90.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$5.09 ¥33.88

185.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$41.16 ¥274

13.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$17.11 ¥114

43.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$4.40 ¥29.30

72.73%

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

$985 ¥6,556

$213 ¥1,419

362.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

$19.9K ¥132.5K

23.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$30.04 ¥200

139.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$42.53 ¥283

-5.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$45.47 ¥303

90.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$69.3 ¥461

81.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$294 ¥1,955

217.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,524

$212 ¥1,413

149.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$660 ¥4,395

245.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,293

$338 ¥2,246

224.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$2,801 ¥18.6K

321.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$2,092 ¥13.9K

213.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$651 ¥4,331

162.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

4.00%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 26, 2026

Last update for Handan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Handan

$212 30.7% 59.9% $317

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Handan

$171 24.7% 25.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Handan

$84 12.2% 42.4% $62

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Handan

$69 10% 36.5% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Handan

$83 12% 0.7% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Handan

$50 7.2% 19.3% $12

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Handan

$22 3.2% 43.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $294 in Handan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Beijing (Pekin) are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $18 in Handan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $171 – making Handan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Handan

🕒 Local time

04:26 4:26 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

9,413,990

💱 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 Handan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 73%, 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 $1,037 in Handan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Handan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $294 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $18 in Handan. 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 $691 in Handan. That makes Handan about 42% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Handan, where all-in costs run around $691, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Handan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Handan – 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 Handan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.