Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Jilin

For one person, living is cheaper in Jilin: $722 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)
Learn more

Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Jilin
Learn more

Jilin Living Index

Jump to prices

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Jilin

🇨🇳 China

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $722 in Jilin, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Jilin $722

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,195 in Jilin, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Jilin $1,195

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,669 in Jilin, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Jilin $1,669

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 66% more than Jilin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$3.05 ¥20.31

44.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$22.62 ¥151

31.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$5.17 ¥34.37

3.87%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$3.43 ¥22.83

8.75%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.44 ¥2.96

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.27 ¥1.80

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$1.09 ¥7.24

9.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$2.31 ¥15.39

-25.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.43

$1.75 ¥11.64

-1.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$1.61 ¥10.70

9.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$0.99 ¥6.59

30.30%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.57 ¥10.46

21.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$15.29 ¥102

-3.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$3.12 ¥20.73

3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$11.08 ¥73.7

1.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$1.88 ¥12.51

13.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.89

$1.27 ¥8.44

40.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.47 ¥9.79

39.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.29 ¥8.62

18.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.66 ¥4.38

12.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.02 ¥6.79

-9.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.59 ¥3.96

16.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.59 ¥3.91

3.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$3.77 ¥25.12

17.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$10.21 ¥68.0

37.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.76 ¥5.07

35.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.60 ¥10.65

12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.34 ¥2.28

73.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$17.48 ¥116

86.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.08 ¥7.17

85.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.26 ¥1.73

26.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$7.13 ¥47.44

7.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.27 ¥8.43

2.36%

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

$19.7K ¥131.4K

$19.8K ¥132.1K

-0.53%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$17.6K ¥116.9K

2.51%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$61.3 ¥408

-3.97%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$8.26 ¥55.0

5.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$10.67 ¥71.0

35.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$39.37 ¥262

18.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$16.99 ¥113

44.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$6.41 ¥42.67

18.56%

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

$985 ¥6,556

$440 ¥2,930

123.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

$17.7K ¥117.5K

38.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$42.55 ¥283

69.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$32.53 ¥217

23.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$76.4 ¥508

13.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$76.0 ¥506

65.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$244 ¥1,623

282.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,524

$163 ¥1,085

224.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$584 ¥3,884

290.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,293

$406 ¥2,704

169.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$3,551 ¥23.6K

232.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$2,139 ¥14.2K

206.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$441 ¥2,935

287.04%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Jilin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Jilin

$163 22.6% 69.2% $367

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Jilin

$209 28.9% 9.1% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Jilin

$102 14.2% 30% $44

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Jilin

$94 13% 13.8% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Jilin

$80 11.1% 2.3% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Jilin

$52 7.2% 15.7% $9.7

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Jilin

$21 2.9% 44.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $244 in Jilin. 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 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $23 in Jilin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $209 – making Jilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Jilin

🕒 Local time

04:22 4:22 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

3,623,713

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Beijing (Pekin) Jilin 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Beijing (Pekin)
Jilin

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 Jilin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 66%, 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 $1,083 in Jilin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jilin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $244 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $23 in Jilin. 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 $722 in Jilin. That makes Jilin about 40% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Jilin, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Jilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jilin – 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 Jilin. 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.