Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Nanjing

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanjing: $838 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Nanjing
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Nanjing Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Nanjing

🇨🇳 China

$838

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $838 in Nanjing, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Nanjing $838

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,317 in Nanjing, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Nanjing $1,317

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,797 in Nanjing, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Nanjing $1,797

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 43% more than Nanjing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Nanjing are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Nanjing 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.34

$3.84 ¥25.52

15.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$22.82 ¥152

29.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.71

$4.78 ¥31.74

12.34%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.78

$3.17 ¥21.05

17.67%

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

$0.56 ¥3.70

$0.54 ¥3.59

3.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.27 ¥1.81

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.90

$1.54 ¥10.25

-22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.53

$2.27 ¥15.07

-23.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.41

$2.09 ¥13.88

-17.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.78

$2.07 ¥13.76

-14.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.60

$0.91 ¥6.05

41.76%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.72

$1.36 ¥9.04

40.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.7

$10.45 ¥69.4

40.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.43

$2.96 ¥19.69

8.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.6

$8.81 ¥58.5

27.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.13

$2.09 ¥13.90

1.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.87

$1.30 ¥8.61

37.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.60

$1.81 ¥12.02

13.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.18

$1.06 ¥7.06

44.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.90 ¥5.96

-17.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$0.95 ¥6.32

-3.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.59

$0.93 ¥6.19

-25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.03

$0.53 ¥3.50

15.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.53

$3.85 ¥25.60

15.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.1

$13.42 ¥89.2

4.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.83

$1.00 ¥6.66

3.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥11.99

$1.51 ¥10.04

19.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.31 ¥2.06

90.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$30.16 ¥200

7.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.31

$1.70 ¥11.28

17.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$0.38 ¥2.54

-13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$9.16 ¥60.9

-16.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.63

$1.36 ¥9.02

-4.41%

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

$19.7K ¥131.2K

$19.6K ¥130.5K

0.54%

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

$18.0K ¥119.6K

$17.7K ¥117.4K

1.93%

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

$58.8 ¥391

$53.8 ¥358

9.37%

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

$8.71 ¥57.9

$7.62 ¥50.6

14.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.4

$7.14 ¥47.43

103.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥310

$28.75 ¥191

62.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$34.96 ¥232

-29.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.5

$6.17 ¥41.03

23.18%

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

$985 ¥6,546

$1,461 ¥9,708

-32.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥162.9K

$22.8K ¥151.8K

7.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥479

$43.23 ¥287

66.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥267

$34.43 ¥229

16.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$64.2 ¥427

35.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥838

$88.8 ¥590

41.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,200

$490 ¥3,254

90.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,519

$287 ¥1,910

84.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.1K

$1,031 ¥6,848

121.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,282

$531 ¥3,528

106.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.5K

$4,837 ¥32.1K

144.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.6K

$3,107 ¥20.6K

111.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.3K

$1,450 ¥9,632

17.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.42

-8.77%

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

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

Last update for Nanjing: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Nanjing

$287 34.3% 45.7% $242

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Nanjing

$204 24.3% 11.4% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Nanjing

$104 12.4% 29% $42

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Nanjing

$99 11.8% 9.6% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Nanjing

$69 8.2% 16.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Nanjing

$41 4.9% 33.6% $21

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Nanjing

$35 4.2% 9.1% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $490 in Nanjing. 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 18% 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 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $23 in Nanjing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $204 – making Nanjing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Nanjing

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

9,314,685

💱 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) Nanjing 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Beijing (Pekin)
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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 Nanjing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 43%, 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 $1,257 in Nanjing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanjing, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $490 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $23 in Nanjing. 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 $838 in Nanjing. That makes Nanjing about 30% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanjing, where all-in costs run around $838, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Nanjing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

If budget matters most, go with Nanjing. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.