Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Linfen

For one person, living is cheaper in Linfen: $720 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Linfen
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Linfen Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Linfen

🇨🇳 China

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $720 in Linfen, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
Linfen $720

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,205 in Linfen, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
Linfen $1,205

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,690 in Linfen, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
Linfen $1,690

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 64% more than Linfen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ¥29.86

$2.93 ¥19.59

52.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥198

$22.19 ¥148

33.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ¥34.80

$5.20 ¥34.79

0.19%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥24.86

$3.01 ¥20.12

23.59%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.50 ¥3.36

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.31 ¥2.08

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$1.03 ¥6.87

13.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$1.79 ¥11.98

-7.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$1.86 ¥12.47

-11.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.68 ¥11.25

4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.01 ¥6.74

25.74%

Eggs

$1.88 ¥12.55

$1.68 ¥11.22

11.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$14.22 ¥95.1

3.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.03

$2.97 ¥19.83

6.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ¥73.8

$11.77 ¥78.7

-6.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$1.62 ¥10.81

24.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.18 ¥7.92

45.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.51 ¥10.08

37.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$1.39 ¥9.30

11.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.71 ¥4.75

1.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$0.97 ¥6.52

-12.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.57 ¥3.80

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.54 ¥3.64

12.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ¥28.88

$4.04 ¥27.04

6.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$11.79 ¥78.9

19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$0.94 ¥6.27

7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$1.40 ¥9.38

30.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.33 ¥2.23

112.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.48 ¥231

$15.49 ¥104

122.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ¥12.84

$1.58 ¥10.57

21.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$6.32 ¥42.28

21.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.19 ¥7.93

12.61%

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

$19.3K ¥128.9K

$18.0K ¥120.4K

7.07%

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

$18.3K ¥122.3K

$18.3K ¥122.1K

0.20%

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

$57.3 ¥383

$57.5 ¥384

-0.30%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$8.82 ¥59.0

3.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$10.96 ¥73.3

29.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

$46.28 ¥309

-8.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥165

$13.78 ¥92.1

78.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 ¥49.48

$7.26 ¥48.52

1.93%

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

$660 ¥4,410

$379 ¥2,537

73.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.9K

$19.7K ¥131.6K

23.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ¥467

$44.14 ¥295

58.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ¥265

$33.84 ¥226

17.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ¥594

$76.2 ¥509

16.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥849

$76.1 ¥509

66.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 ¥6,286

$330 ¥2,206

184.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$160 ¥1,069

227.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 ¥15.5K

$668 ¥4,468

247.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 ¥7,542

$429 ¥2,868

162.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥82.8K

$3,350 ¥22.4K

269.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ¥42.0K

$2,134 ¥14.3K

194.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ¥11.5K

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 11, 2026

Last update for Linfen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2%

Linfen

$160 22.2% 69.5% $364

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2%

Linfen

$211 29.3% 6.9% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4%

Linfen

$104 14.4% 29.2% $43

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Linfen

$87 12.1% 19.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8%

Linfen

$77 10.7% 4.2% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8%

Linfen

$61 8.4% 6.4% $3.6

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Linfen

$20 2.8% 50.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $330 in Linfen. 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 Linfen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $211 – making Linfen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Linfen

🕒 Local time

14:25 2:25 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

617,000

💱 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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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 Linfen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 64%, 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 $1,080 in Linfen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Linfen, 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 Linfen. 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 $720 in Linfen. That's a gap of about 64%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Linfen, where all-in costs run around $720, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Linfen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Linfen – 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 Linfen. 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.