Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Lhasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Lhasa: $738 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Lhasa
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Lhasa Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Lhasa

🇨🇳 China

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $738 in Lhasa, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Lhasa $738

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,194 in Lhasa, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Lhasa $1,194

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,649 in Lhasa, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Lhasa $1,649

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 62% more than Lhasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Lhasa are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Lhasa 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$4.37 ¥29.06

1.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$30.36 ¥202

-2.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$7.38 ¥49.11

-27.24%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$2.81 ¥18.67

32.74%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.43 ¥2.88

30.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.31 ¥2.05

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$1.48 ¥9.85

-19.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$2.08 ¥13.84

-16.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.43

$1.80 ¥11.96

-4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$1.65 ¥11.00

7.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$1.01 ¥6.73

27.72%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.58 ¥10.54

20.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$7.00 ¥46.58

110.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$3.04 ¥20.23

5.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$11.15 ¥74.2

0.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$1.83 ¥12.16

16.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.89

$1.34 ¥8.90

33.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.56 ¥10.41

31.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.33 ¥8.86

15.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.70 ¥4.65

5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.95 ¥6.34

-3.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.59 ¥3.93

16.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.59 ¥3.96

3.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$3.84 ¥25.58

15.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$11.23 ¥74.7

24.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.84 ¥5.62

22.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.61 ¥10.71

11.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.31 ¥2.06

90.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$18.27 ¥122

78.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.47 ¥9.81

36.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.32 ¥2.16

3.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$7.33 ¥48.81

4.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.31 ¥8.71

-0.76%

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

$19.7K ¥131.4K

$19.2K ¥127.8K

2.81%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$17.7K ¥117.7K

1.82%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$56.5 ¥376

4.12%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$8.54 ¥56.8

1.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$11.23 ¥74.7

29.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$42.42 ¥282

10.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$15.12 ¥101

61.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$6.33 ¥42.15

20.06%

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

$985 ¥6,556

$434 ¥2,885

127.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

$17.8K ¥118.6K

37.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$42.74 ¥284

68.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$33.30 ¥222

20.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$75.4 ¥502

15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$76.4 ¥508

65.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$287 ¥1,910

225.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,524

$189 ¥1,256

180.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$598 ¥3,978

281.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,293

$373 ¥2,482

193.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$3,221 ¥21.4K

266.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,933 ¥12.9K

239.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$2,079 ¥13.8K

-17.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.36

-7.14%

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

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

Last update for Lhasa: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Lhasa

$189 25.6% 64.4% $341

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Lhasa

$188 25.5% 18.2% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Lhasa

$103 13.9% 29.9% $44

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Lhasa

$105 14.3% 3.4% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Lhasa

$76 10.3% 7.1% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Lhasa

$55 7.5% 11% $6.8

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Lhasa

$23 3.1% 41.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $287 in Lhasa. 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 22% higher in Lhasa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $30 in Lhasa. Groceries tell a different story – $230 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $188 in Lhasa – so Lhasa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Lhasa

🕒 Local time

10:12 10:12 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

867,891

💱 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) Lhasa 2,560 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 Lhasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,796 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,108 in Lhasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lhasa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $287 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

Public transport costs about 44% less in Lhasa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Beijing (Pekin), though the gap depends on what you buy.

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