Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Lanzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Lanzhou: $719 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)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Lanzhou
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Lanzhou Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Lanzhou

🇨🇳 China

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $719 in Lanzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
Lanzhou $719

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,143 in Lanzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
Lanzhou $1,143

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,567 in Lanzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
Lanzhou $1,567

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 65% more than Lanzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ¥29.86

$2.06 ¥13.80

116.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥198

$28.34 ¥189

4.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ¥34.80

$5.86 ¥39.15

-11.09%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥24.86

$3.12 ¥20.89

19.23%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.48 ¥3.19

4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.29 ¥1.93

-10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$1.10 ¥7.35

6.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$2.02 ¥13.54

-17.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$1.77 ¥11.81

-6.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.61 ¥10.75

9.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$0.96 ¥6.40

32.29%

Eggs

$1.88 ¥12.55

$1.60 ¥10.72

17.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$13.22 ¥88.4

10.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.03

$3.43 ¥22.92

-8.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ¥73.8

$12.11 ¥81.0

-8.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$1.81 ¥12.09

11.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.28 ¥8.56

34.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.49 ¥9.97

39.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$1.24 ¥8.32

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.70 ¥4.70

2.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$0.93 ¥6.21

-8.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.60 ¥3.99

15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.55 ¥3.70

10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ¥28.88

$3.77 ¥25.19

14.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$11.52 ¥77.0

22.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$0.83 ¥5.52

21.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$1.53 ¥10.25

18.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.29 ¥1.92

141.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.48 ¥231

$18.07 ¥121

90.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ¥12.84

$1.48 ¥9.91

29.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.32 ¥2.17

3.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$7.12 ¥47.58

7.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.46 ¥9.73

-8.22%

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

$19.3K ¥128.9K

$17.5K ¥117.2K

9.97%

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

$18.3K ¥122.3K

$15.0K ¥100.4K

21.90%

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

$57.3 ¥383

$58.0 ¥388

-1.19%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$8.79 ¥58.8

3.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$11.18 ¥74.8

27.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

$42.33 ¥283

0.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥165

$14.69 ¥98.2

67.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 ¥49.48

$6.29 ¥42.06

17.65%

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

$660 ¥4,410

$412 ¥2,756

60.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.9K

$17.6K ¥117.6K

37.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ¥467

$42.85 ¥287

62.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ¥265

$33.44 ¥224

18.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ¥594

$75.6 ¥505

17.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥849

$74.1 ¥495

71.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 ¥6,286

$295 ¥1,971

218.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$168 ¥1,126

210.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 ¥15.5K

$626 ¥4,186

270.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 ¥7,542

$297 ¥1,986

279.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥82.8K

$2,671 ¥17.9K

363.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ¥42.0K

$1,611 ¥10.8K

290.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ¥11.5K

$953 ¥6,375

79.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

4.00%

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

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

Last update for Lanzhou: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2%

Lanzhou

$168 23.4% 67.8% $355

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2%

Lanzhou

$209 29.1% 7.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4%

Lanzhou

$102 14.2% 30.5% $45

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Lanzhou

$84 11.7% 22.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8%

Lanzhou

$78 10.9% 3.3% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8%

Lanzhou

$55 7.6% 3.9% $2.2

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Lanzhou

$22 3.1% 45.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $295 in Lanzhou. 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 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 Lanzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $209 – making Lanzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Lanzhou

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

3,688,400

💱 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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Beijing (Pekin) Lanzhou 1,180 km ≈ 2 h 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 Lanzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 65%, 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 $1,078 in Lanzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lanzhou, 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 $28.00 in Lanzhou. 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 $719 in Lanzhou. That's a gap of about 65%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Lanzhou, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Lanzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lanzhou – 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 Lanzhou. 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.