Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Nanchong

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanchong: $685 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Nanchong
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Nanchong Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Nanchong

🇨🇳 China

$685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $685 in Nanchong, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Nanchong $685

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,106 in Nanchong, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Nanchong $1,106

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,527 in Nanchong, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Nanchong $1,527

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 75% more than Nanchong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Nanchong are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Nanchong 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$1.77 ¥11.77

149.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$22.40 ¥149

32.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$2.91 ¥19.37

84.54%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$2.09 ¥13.89

78.47%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.43 ¥2.86

30.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.29 ¥1.92

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$1.18 ¥7.83

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.85 ¥12.30

-6.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.42

$2.02 ¥13.45

-14.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$1.64 ¥10.89

7.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$0.61 ¥4.03

111.48%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$2.16 ¥14.39

-11.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$17.80 ¥118

-17.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$3.41 ¥22.70

-5.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$10.11 ¥67.3

11.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$1.54 ¥10.27

38.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.88

$1.30 ¥8.65

37.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.20 ¥8.01

70.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.27 ¥8.47

20.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.66 ¥4.42

12.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.00 ¥6.67

-8.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.84 ¥5.56

-17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.61 ¥4.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$3.06 ¥20.36

45.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$9.05 ¥60.2

54.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.83 ¥5.50

24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.71 ¥11.36

5.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.32 ¥2.10

84.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$17.36 ¥116

87.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.48 ¥9.85

35.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.29 ¥1.92

13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$2.98 ¥19.82

157.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.26 ¥8.40

3.17%

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

$19.7K ¥131.3K

$19.2K ¥127.6K

2.95%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$17.1K ¥114.0K

5.07%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$44.65 ¥297

31.78%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$7.13 ¥47.41

22.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$7.28 ¥48.41

99.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$42.05 ¥280

11.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$13.76 ¥91.5

77.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$6.07 ¥40.39

25.21%

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

$985 ¥6,555

$293 ¥1,951

235.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.1K

$25.0K ¥166.4K

-1.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$39.28 ¥261

83.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$30.15 ¥201

33.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$66.1 ¥440

31.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$63.6 ¥423

98.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$288 ¥1,917

223.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,523

$185 ¥1,231

186.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$614 ¥4,086

271.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,292

$365 ¥2,431

200.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$3,027 ¥20.1K

290.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,984 ¥13.2K

231.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.34

-6.59%

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

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

Last update for Nanchong: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Nanchong

$185 27% 65% $344

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Nanchong

$216 31.5% 6.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Nanchong

$90 13.1% 38.8% $57

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Nanchong

$60 8.8% 44.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Nanchong

$59 8.6% 28% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Nanchong

$54 7.9% 12.5% $7.7

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Nanchong

$22 3.1% 44.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $288 in Nanchong. 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 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $22 in Nanchong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $216 – making Nanchong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Nanchong

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

5,607,565

💱 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) Nanchong 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 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 Nanchong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 75%, 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 $1,028 in Nanchong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanchong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $288 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $22 in Nanchong. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin) and $685 in Nanchong. That makes Nanchong about 43% cheaper.

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

For expats, Nanchong is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 43% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.