Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Jining

For one person, living is cheaper in Jining: $675 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Jining
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Jining Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Jining

🇨🇳 China

$675

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $675 in Jining, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
Jining $675

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,012 in Jining, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
Jining $1,012

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,349 in Jining, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
Jining $1,349

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 75% more than Jining, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Jining are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Jining 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ¥29.86

$2.19 ¥14.62

104.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥198

$16.48 ¥110

79.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ¥34.80

$4.37 ¥29.21

19.22%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥24.86

$2.51 ¥16.75

48.21%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.51 ¥3.41

-1.96%

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

$0.93 ¥6.21

25.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$1.61 ¥10.80

3.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$1.70 ¥11.35

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.18 ¥7.89

49.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$0.94 ¥6.27

35.11%

Eggs

$1.88 ¥12.55

$0.96 ¥6.43

95.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$8.16 ¥54.5

79.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.03

$2.87 ¥19.17

9.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ¥73.8

$10.26 ¥68.6

7.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$1.45 ¥9.68

39.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$0.99 ¥6.61

73.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.06 ¥7.06

96.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$1.17 ¥7.84

32.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.61 ¥4.09

18.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$0.73 ¥4.89

16.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.66 ¥4.42

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.76 ¥5.08

-19.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ¥28.88

$5.31 ¥35.50

-18.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$9.86 ¥65.9

43.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$0.95 ¥6.32

6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$1.61 ¥10.74

13.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.31 ¥2.08

125.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.48 ¥231

$18.21 ¥122

89.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ¥12.84

$1.04 ¥6.94

84.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.29 ¥1.93

13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$3.60 ¥24.10

113.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.31 ¥8.77

2.29%

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

$19.3K ¥128.9K

$19.3K ¥129.0K

-0.10%

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

$18.3K ¥122.3K

$17.6K ¥117.7K

3.97%

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

$57.3 ¥383

$60.8 ¥407

-5.75%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$6.92 ¥46.30

31.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$10.47 ¥70.0

35.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

$42.31 ¥283

0.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥165

$15.20 ¥102

61.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 ¥49.48

$4.43 ¥29.64

67.04%

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

$660 ¥4,410

$386 ¥2,578

71.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.9K

$7,427 ¥49.7K

225.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ¥467

$43.12 ¥288

61.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ¥265

$33.56 ¥224

18.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ¥594

$72.6 ¥485

22.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥849

$69.8 ¥466

81.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 ¥6,286

$281 ¥1,880

234.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$182 ¥1,214

188.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 ¥15.5K

$391 ¥2,615

493.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 ¥7,542

$269 ¥1,796

319.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥82.8K

$3,524 ¥23.6K

251.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ¥42.0K

$1,958 ¥13.1K

220.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ¥11.5K

$592 ¥3,957

189.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.29

-5.17%

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

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

Last update for Jining: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2%

Jining

$182 26.9% 65.3% $342

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2%

Jining

$172 25.5% 24.2% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4%

Jining

$99 14.6% 32.7% $48

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Jining

$72 10.6% 33.6% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8%

Jining

$78 11.6% 3% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8%

Jining

$51 7.6% 10.4% $6

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Jining

$22 3.3% 46.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $281 in Jining. 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 189% 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 $16.00 in Jining. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $172 – making Jining the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Jining

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

8,357,897

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,013 in Jining. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jining, 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 $16.00 in Jining. 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 $675 in Jining. That's a gap of about 75%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jining, where all-in costs run around $675, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Jining it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jining – 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 Jining. 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.