Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Jinan

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinan: $641 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Jinan
Learn more

Jinan Living Index

Jump to prices

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Jinan

🇨🇳 China

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $641 in Jinan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Jinan $641

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,061 in Jinan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Jinan $1,061

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,481 in Jinan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Jinan $1,481

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 87% more than Jinan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Jinan are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Jinan 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$2.58 ¥17.17

71.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$24.83 ¥165

19.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$4.84 ¥32.18

10.95%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$2.65 ¥17.66

40.75%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.44 ¥2.93

27.27%

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

$0.87 ¥5.78

36.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$1.95 ¥12.99

-11.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.43

$1.45 ¥9.65

18.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$1.48 ¥9.85

19.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$1.23 ¥8.18

4.88%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.11 ¥7.41

72.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$11.84 ¥78.8

24.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$3.22 ¥21.44

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$11.14 ¥74.1

0.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$1.45 ¥9.65

46.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.89

$1.01 ¥6.72

77.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.37 ¥9.11

49.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.15 ¥7.68

33.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.57 ¥3.82

29.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.73 ¥4.85

26.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.56 ¥3.75

23.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.61 ¥4.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$3.84 ¥25.53

15.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$9.91 ¥66.0

41.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.67 ¥4.44

53.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.30 ¥8.67

38.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.31 ¥2.08

90.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$8.77 ¥58.4

270.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.61 ¥10.69

24.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.25 ¥1.66

32.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$4.38 ¥29.17

75.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.30 ¥8.68

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

$19.7K ¥131.4K

$19.5K ¥129.5K

1.44%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$15.1K ¥100.4K

19.27%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$73.7 ¥490

-20.16%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$6.89 ¥45.86

26.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$5.26 ¥35.03

175.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$23.88 ¥159

95.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$9.01 ¥60.0

171.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$5.12 ¥34.10

48.44%

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

$985 ¥6,556

$214 ¥1,422

360.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

$20.3K ¥135.0K

20.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$33.25 ¥221

116.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$42.51 ¥283

-5.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$71.6 ¥476

21.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$70.0 ¥466

80.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$252 ¥1,679

269.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,524

$146 ¥971

262.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$612 ¥4,073

272.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,293

$361 ¥2,401

203.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$2,470 ¥16.4K

377.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,307 ¥8,699

402.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$962 ¥6,400

77.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.13

-0.32%

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

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

Last update for Jinan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Jinan

$146 22.8% 72.4% $384

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Jinan

$187 29.1% 18.7% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Jinan

$98 15.3% 33.2% $49

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Jinan

$78 12.2% 28.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Jinan

$86 13.4% 4.6% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Jinan

$34 5.3% 44.9% $28

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Jinan

$13 2% 66.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $252 in Jinan. 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 77% 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 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $25 in Jinan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $187 – making Jinan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Jinan

🕒 Local time

04:22 4:22 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

9,202,432

💱 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) Jinan 370 km

From you

Beijing (Pekin)
Jinan

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 Jinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 87%, 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 $962 in Jinan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jinan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $252 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $25 in Jinan. 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 $641 in Jinan. That makes Jinan about 46% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Jinan, where all-in costs run around $641, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Jinan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jinan – 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 Jinan. 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.