Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Hohhot

For one person, living is cheaper in Hohhot: $726 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Hohhot
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Hohhot Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Hohhot

🇨🇳 China

$726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $726 in Hohhot, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Hohhot $726

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,134 in Hohhot, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Hohhot $1,134

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,542 in Hohhot, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Hohhot $1,542

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 65% more than Hohhot, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Hohhot are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Hohhot 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$3.28 ¥21.80

34.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$22.58 ¥150

31.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$8.86 ¥59.0

-39.39%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$3.54 ¥23.56

5.37%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.48 ¥3.22

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.28 ¥1.84

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$1.21 ¥8.05

-1.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.99 ¥13.23

-13.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.42

$2.26 ¥15.06

-23.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$1.33 ¥8.85

33.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$1.19 ¥7.89

8.40%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.47 ¥9.78

29.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$13.26 ¥88.2

10.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$3.14 ¥20.87

2.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$12.92 ¥86.0

-13.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$2.03 ¥13.50

4.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.88

$1.27 ¥8.43

40.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.77 ¥11.76

15.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$0.69 ¥4.62

121.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.58 ¥3.88

27.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.89 ¥5.90

3.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.62 ¥4.14

11.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.43 ¥2.86

41.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$5.68 ¥37.81

-21.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$7.70 ¥51.2

81.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.93 ¥6.18

10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.84 ¥12.24

-2.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.17 ¥1.14

247.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$17.65 ¥117

84.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.17 ¥7.80

70.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.21 ¥1.40

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$3.08 ¥20.52

149.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.21 ¥8.07

7.44%

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

$19.7K ¥131.3K

$15.7K ¥104.4K

25.77%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$15.9K ¥105.6K

13.43%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$56.9 ¥379

3.35%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$6.26 ¥41.68

39.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$11.44 ¥76.1

26.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$33.72 ¥224

38.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$16.45 ¥109

48.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$5.18 ¥34.49

46.72%

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

$985 ¥6,555

$408 ¥2,717

141.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.1K

$24.2K ¥160.9K

1.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$59.4 ¥395

21.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$26.08 ¥174

54.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$82.8 ¥551

4.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$75.5 ¥502

67.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$208 ¥1,387

347.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,523

$164 ¥1,093

222.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$341 ¥2,271

567.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,292

$269 ¥1,790

307.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$1,691 ¥11.2K

598.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,145 ¥7,617

473.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$952 ¥6,337

79.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.75

-16.80%

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

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

Last update for Hohhot: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Hohhot

$164 22.6% 69% $365

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Hohhot

$204 28.1% 11.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Hohhot

$110 15.1% 25% $37

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Hohhot

$108 14.9% 0.6% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Hohhot

$75 10.3% 9.1% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Hohhot

$44 6.1% 28.8% $18

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Hohhot

$21 2.8% 46.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $208 in Hohhot. 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 79% higher in Beijing (Pekin). Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $23 in Hohhot. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $204 – making Hohhot the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Hohhot

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

3,446,100

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 65%, 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 $1,088 in Hohhot. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hohhot, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $208 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $23 in Hohhot. 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 $726 in Hohhot. That makes Hohhot about 39% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Hohhot – 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 Hohhot. 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.