Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Kunshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kunshan: $714 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
Learn more

Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Kunshan
Learn more

Kunshan Living Index

Jump to prices

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Kunshan

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $714 in Kunshan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
Kunshan $714

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,137 in Kunshan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
Kunshan $1,137

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,560 in Kunshan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
Kunshan $1,560

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ¥29.86

$2.76 ¥18.46

61.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥198

$21.65 ¥145

37.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ¥34.80

$4.99 ¥33.35

4.41%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥24.86

$3.08 ¥20.60

20.78%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.46 ¥3.10

8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.27 ¥1.80

-3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$0.92 ¥6.18

27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$2.14 ¥14.32

-22.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$1.86 ¥12.44

-11.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.59 ¥10.63

10.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$0.94 ¥6.29

35.11%

Eggs

$1.88 ¥12.55

$1.59 ¥10.65

18.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$12.94 ¥86.5

13.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.03

$3.14 ¥21.02

0.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ¥73.8

$10.18 ¥68.1

8.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$1.81 ¥12.09

11.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.25 ¥8.38

37.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.49 ¥9.99

39.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$1.14 ¥7.64

35.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.73 ¥4.89

-1.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$0.97 ¥6.50

-12.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.57 ¥3.79

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.51 ¥3.44

19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ¥28.88

$3.09 ¥20.68

39.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$10.70 ¥71.5

31.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$0.74 ¥4.93

36.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$1.65 ¥11.00

10.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.29 ¥1.96

141.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.48 ¥231

$17.02 ¥114

102.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ¥12.84

$1.40 ¥9.37

37.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.33 ¥2.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$6.49 ¥43.38

18.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.13 ¥7.58

18.58%

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

$19.3K ¥128.9K

$19.5K ¥130.4K

-1.15%

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

$18.3K ¥122.3K

$16.9K ¥113.2K

8.08%

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

$57.3 ¥383

$45.06 ¥301

27.21%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$9.74 ¥65.1

-6.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$11.75 ¥78.5

21.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

$42.03 ¥281

0.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥165

$13.90 ¥92.9

77.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 ¥49.48

$5.99 ¥40.04

23.54%

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

$660 ¥4,410

$337 ¥2,252

95.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.9K

$16.9K ¥112.9K

43.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ¥467

$43.07 ¥288

62.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ¥265

$30.24 ¥202

31.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ¥594

$70.7 ¥473

25.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥849

$71.3 ¥477

78.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 ¥6,286

$274 ¥1,834

242.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$190 ¥1,271

175.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 ¥15.5K

$591 ¥3,948

292.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 ¥7,542

$367 ¥2,455

207.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥82.8K

$3,017 ¥20.2K

310.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ¥42.0K

$2,058 ¥13.8K

205.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ¥11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.89

-19.79%

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

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

Last update for Kunshan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2%

Kunshan

$190 26.7% 63.7% $333

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2%

Kunshan

$199 27.9% 12.3% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4%

Kunshan

$97 13.6% 33.8% $49

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Kunshan

$86 12% 20.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8%

Kunshan

$67 9.3% 17.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8%

Kunshan

$54 7.6% 5.5% $3.1

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Kunshan

$21 3% 48% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $274 in Kunshan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $22.00 in Kunshan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $199 – making Kunshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Kunshan

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

2,092,496

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Beijing (Pekin) Kunshan 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Beijing (Pekin)
Kunshan

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 Kunshan: 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 $1,775 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,070 in Kunshan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kunshan, 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 $22.00 in Kunshan. 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 $714 in Kunshan. That's a gap of about 66%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kunshan, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Kunshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kunshan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kunshan. 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.