Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Kurgan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurgan: $593 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Beijing (Pekin)
🇨🇳 China
$1,184
/mo nomad
Kurgan
🇷🇺 Russia
$593
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $593 in Kurgan, rent included.

  • Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
  • Kurgan $593

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $958 in Kurgan, rent included.

  • Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
  • Kurgan $958

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,322 in Kurgan, rent included.

  • Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
  • Kurgan $1,322

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 100% more than Kurgan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Kurgan are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Kurgan 56% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Beijing (Pekin)
Kurgan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ¥29.86
$8.38 ₽699
-46.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.66 ¥198
$28.46 ₽2,375
4.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.21 ¥34.80
$5.46 ₽456
-4.58%
Cappuccino
$3.72 ¥24.86
$2.67 ₽223
39.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ¥3.34
$1.13 ₽94.3
-55.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 ¥1.73
$0.61 ₽51.0
-57.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.17 ¥7.84
$3.51 ₽293
-66.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 ¥11.07
$4.85 ₽405
-65.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Beijing (Pekin)
Kurgan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 ¥11.05
$1.10 ₽92.2
50.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.76 ¥11.74
$0.79 ₽65.8
122.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.27 ¥8.51
$1.23 ₽102
3.25%
Eggs
$1.88 ¥12.55
$1.45 ₽121
29.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.65 ¥98.0
$10.58 ₽883
38.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.15 ¥21.03
$4.64 ₽387
-32.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.03 ¥73.8
$11.53 ₽963
-4.34%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 ¥13.53
$1.92 ₽160
5.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.72 ¥11.47
$1.84 ₽154
-6.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 ¥13.94
$2.04 ₽170
1.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.55 ¥10.35
$2.58 ₽216
-39.92%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 ¥4.82
$0.80 ₽66.5
-10.00%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 ¥5.68
$0.73 ₽60.6
16.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.69 ¥4.60
$1.81 ₽151
-61.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 ¥4.10
$0.56 ₽46.83
8.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.32 ¥28.88
$2.88 ₽240
50.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.10 ¥94.3
$6.32 ₽528
123.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 ¥6.76
$0.91 ₽76.1
10.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 ¥12.17
$1.77 ₽147
2.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Beijing (Pekin)
Kurgan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.70 ¥4.67
$0.51 ₽42.23
37.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.48 ¥231
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 ¥12.84
$2.40 ₽200
-20.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.33 ¥2.19
$0.59 ₽49.05
-44.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.67 ¥51.3
$7.32 ₽611
4.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 ¥8.93
$0.86 ₽72.0
55.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.3K ¥128.9K
$35.7K ₽3.0M
-45.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.3K ¥122.3K
$38.1K ₽3.2M
-51.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beijing (Pekin)
Kurgan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.3 ¥383
$93.2 ₽7,778
-38.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.13 ¥61.0
$6.63 ₽553
37.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.22 ¥95.1
$8.70 ₽726
63.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Beijing (Pekin)
Kurgan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.34 ¥283
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.61 ¥165
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.40 ¥49.48
$4.29 ₽358
72.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Beijing (Pekin)
Kurgan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$660 ¥4,410
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.2K ¥161.9K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Beijing (Pekin)
Kurgan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.8 ¥467
$95.0 ₽7,925
-26.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.69 ¥265
$29.51 ₽2,463
34.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.9 ¥594
$87.7 ₽7,321
1.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 ¥849
$53.4 ₽4,456
137.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Beijing (Pekin)
Kurgan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$940 ¥6,286
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$524 ¥3,501
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,319 ¥15.5K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,128 ¥7,542
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$12.4K ¥82.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,284 ¥42.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Beijing (Pekin)
Kurgan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,713 ¥11.5K
$950 ₽79.3K
80.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.12
20.32
-84.65%

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

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

Last update for Kurgan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Beijing (Pekin)
$524
Kurgan
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Beijing (Pekin)
$227
Kurgan
$199 12.1% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Beijing (Pekin)
$146
Kurgan
$120 18.4% $27
Eating Out
Beijing (Pekin)
$108
Kurgan
$150 38.4% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beijing (Pekin)
$81
Kurgan
$109 34.5% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Beijing (Pekin)
$57
Kurgan
$8.6 * 85% $49
Getting Around
Beijing (Pekin)
$41
Kurgan
$7.4 * 82% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 80% 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 $28.00 in Kurgan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $199 – making Kurgan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)
🇷🇺 Kurgan
🕒 Local time
01:54 1:54 AM
22:54 10:54 PM
3 h behind Beijing (Pekin)
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,893,095 Capital
309,285
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Beijing (Pekin) Kurgan 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Beijing (Pekin)
  • Kurgan

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 Kurgan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kurgan cheaper than Beijing (Pekin)?
Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 100%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $890 in Kurgan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do food prices compare in Beijing (Pekin) and in Kurgan?
Groceries cost about 14% more in Beijing (Pekin), though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Beijing (Pekin) or in Kurgan?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) and $28.00 in Kurgan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Beijing (Pekin) or in Kurgan?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kurgan, where all-in costs run around $593, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Kurgan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Beijing (Pekin) or Kurgan more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kurgan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kurgan. 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.

Beijing (Pekin) vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?