Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Luoyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Luoyang: $660 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Beijing (Pekin)
🇨🇳 China
$1,184
/mo nomad
Luoyang
🇨🇳 China
$660
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $660 in Luoyang, rent included.

  • Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
  • Luoyang $660

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,066 in Luoyang, rent included.

  • Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
  • Luoyang $1,066

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,471 in Luoyang, rent included.

  • Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
  • Luoyang $1,471

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 79% more than Luoyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Luoyang are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Luoyang 51% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Beijing (Pekin)
Luoyang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ¥29.86
$3.67 ¥24.52
21.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.66 ¥198
$29.73 ¥199
-0.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.21 ¥34.80
$5.62 ¥37.58
-7.30%
Cappuccino
$3.72 ¥24.86
$3.55 ¥23.74
4.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ¥3.34
$0.47 ¥3.15
6.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 ¥1.73
$0.27 ¥1.82
-3.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.17 ¥7.84
$1.24 ¥8.26
-5.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 ¥11.07
$2.92 ¥19.50
-43.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Beijing (Pekin)
Luoyang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 ¥11.05
$1.92 ¥12.86
-14.06%
White Bread (500g)
$1.76 ¥11.74
$2.30 ¥15.39
-23.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.27 ¥8.51
$1.07 ¥7.17
18.69%
Eggs
$1.88 ¥12.55
$1.42 ¥9.49
32.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.65 ¥98.0
$13.60 ¥90.9
7.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.15 ¥21.03
$3.29 ¥21.99
-4.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.03 ¥73.8
$9.11 ¥60.9
21.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 ¥13.53
$0.93 ¥6.21
117.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.72 ¥11.47
$1.34 ¥8.98
28.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 ¥13.94
$1.50 ¥10.02
38.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.55 ¥10.35
$1.33 ¥8.86
16.54%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 ¥4.82
$0.75 ¥5.05
-4.00%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 ¥5.68
$0.89 ¥5.95
-4.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.69 ¥4.60
$0.44 ¥2.93
56.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 ¥4.10
$0.80 ¥5.33
-23.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.32 ¥28.88
$1.69 ¥11.27
155.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.10 ¥94.3
$13.33 ¥89.1
5.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 ¥6.76
$0.47 ¥3.15
114.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 ¥12.17
$2.25 ¥15.06
-19.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Beijing (Pekin)
Luoyang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.70 ¥4.67
$0.29 ¥1.91
141.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.48 ¥231
$18.21 ¥122
89.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 ¥12.84
$1.18 ¥7.92
62.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.33 ¥2.19
$0.35 ¥2.36
-5.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.67 ¥51.3
$7.26 ¥48.57
5.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 ¥8.93
$1.27 ¥8.46
5.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.3K ¥128.9K
$19.6K ¥131.2K
-1.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.3K ¥122.3K
$17.2K ¥115.3K
6.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beijing (Pekin)
Luoyang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.3 ¥383
$43.59 ¥291
31.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.13 ¥61.0
$6.03 ¥40.30
51.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.22 ¥95.1
$10.29 ¥68.8
38.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Beijing (Pekin)
Luoyang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.34 ¥283
$22.19 ¥148
90.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.61 ¥165
$12.12 ¥81.0
103.05%
Cinema Ticket
$7.40 ¥49.48
$5.59 ¥37.35
32.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Beijing (Pekin)
Luoyang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$660 ¥4,410
$196 ¥1,310
236.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.2K ¥161.9K
$18.7K ¥124.7K
29.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Beijing (Pekin)
Luoyang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.8 ¥467
$50.2 ¥336
39.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.69 ¥265
$29.97 ¥200
32.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.9 ¥594
$64.4 ¥431
37.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 ¥849
$79.3 ¥531
59.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Beijing (Pekin)
Luoyang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$940 ¥6,286
$188 ¥1,256
400.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$524 ¥3,501
$129 ¥860
307.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,319 ¥15.5K
$438 ¥2,930
429.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,128 ¥7,542
$224 ¥1,499
402.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$12.4K ¥82.8K
$2,162 ¥14.5K
472.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,284 ¥42.0K
$1,407 ¥9,408
346.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Beijing (Pekin)
Luoyang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,713 ¥11.5K
$628 ¥4,202
172.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.12
4.45
-29.89%

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

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

Last update for Luoyang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Beijing (Pekin)
$524
Luoyang
$129 75.4% $395
Groceries & Markets
Beijing (Pekin)
$227
Luoyang
$211 7% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Beijing (Pekin)
$146
Luoyang
$101 31.2% $46
Eating Out
Beijing (Pekin)
$108
Luoyang
$104 4% $4.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beijing (Pekin)
$81
Luoyang
$60 25.7% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Beijing (Pekin)
$57
Luoyang
$33 41.6% $24
Getting Around
Beijing (Pekin)
$41
Luoyang
$22 45.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $188 in Luoyang. 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 173% 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 $30.00 in Luoyang. Groceries tell a different story – $227 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $211 in Luoyang – so Luoyang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)
🇨🇳 Luoyang
🕒 Local time
16:41 4:41 PM
16:41 4:41 PM
Same time as Beijing (Pekin)
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,893,095 Capital
1,926,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Beijing (Pekin) Luoyang 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Beijing (Pekin)
  • Luoyang

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 Luoyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Luoyang cheaper than Beijing (Pekin)?
Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 79%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $990 in Luoyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Luoyang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Beijing (Pekin) or in Luoyang?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) and $30.00 in Luoyang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Beijing (Pekin) and in Luoyang?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin) and $660 in Luoyang. That's a gap of about 79%.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Beijing (Pekin) or in Luoyang?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Luoyang, where all-in costs run around $660, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Luoyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Beijing (Pekin) or Luoyang more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Luoyang – 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 Luoyang. 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.

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