Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Korla

For one person, living is cheaper in Korla: $650 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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 Korla
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Korla Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Korla

🇨🇳 China

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $650 in Korla, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Korla $650

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,046 in Korla, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Korla $1,046

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,442 in Korla, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Korla $1,442

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 84% more than Korla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Korla are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Korla 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$3.06 ¥20.38

44.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$16.36 ¥109

81.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$5.13 ¥34.13

4.68%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$2.87 ¥19.08

29.97%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.47 ¥3.13

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.26 ¥1.74

11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$0.88 ¥5.83

35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.47 ¥9.78

17.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.42

$1.28 ¥8.49

34.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$0.91 ¥6.06

94.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$0.67 ¥4.47

92.54%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.53 ¥10.20

24.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$6.16 ¥40.96

138.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$2.48 ¥16.50

29.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$9.83 ¥65.4

14.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$2.04 ¥13.55

4.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.88

$1.27 ¥8.43

40.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.84 ¥12.26

11.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$0.73 ¥4.83

109.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.54 ¥3.63

37.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.61 ¥4.09

50.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.50 ¥3.34

38.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.48 ¥3.22

27.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$3.03 ¥20.14

46.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$10.57 ¥70.3

32.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$1.14 ¥7.57

-9.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.48 ¥9.86

21.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.26 ¥1.74

126.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$18.22 ¥121

78.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.34 ¥8.89

49.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.21 ¥1.40

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$7.63 ¥50.8

0.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.19 ¥7.90

9.24%

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

$19.7K ¥131.3K

$18.2K ¥121.4K

8.21%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$14.1K ¥93.8K

27.71%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$68.2 ¥454

-13.70%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$5.25 ¥34.93

65.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$11.36 ¥75.6

27.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$39.34 ¥262

18.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$13.56 ¥90.2

80.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$5.22 ¥34.76

45.59%

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

$985 ¥6,555

$162 ¥1,078

508.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.1K

$9,078 ¥60.4K

170.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$18.07 ¥120

298.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$21.97 ¥146

83.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$105 ¥696

-17.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$44.96 ¥299

180.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$269 ¥1,792

246.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,523

$164 ¥1,091

223.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$650 ¥4,327

250.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,292

$389 ¥2,591

181.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$2,961 ¥19.7K

298.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,938 ¥12.9K

238.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$750 ¥4,989

127.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.39

-7.96%

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

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

Last update for Korla: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Korla

$164 25.2% 69% $366

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Korla

$160 24.7% 30.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Korla

$85 13.1% 41.7% $61

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Korla

$85 13% 22.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Korla

$85 13% 3.3% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Korla

$50 7.7% 19.6% $12

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Korla

$22 3.3% 43.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $269 in Korla. 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 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $16 in Korla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $160 – making Korla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Korla

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 AM

00:21 12:21 AM

2 h behind Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

779,352

💱 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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Beijing (Pekin) Korla 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 84%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,796 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $975 in Korla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Korla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $269 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $16 in Korla. 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 $650 in Korla. That makes Korla about 46% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Korla, where all-in costs run around $650, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Korla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Korla – 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 Korla. 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.