Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Nanning

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanning: $737 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 Nanning
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Nanning Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Nanning

🇨🇳 China

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $737 in Nanning, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Nanning $737

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,176 in Nanning, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Nanning $1,176

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,615 in Nanning, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Nanning $1,615

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$2.97 ¥19.73

48.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$20.42 ¥136

45.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$5.76 ¥38.31

-6.77%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$2.33 ¥15.51

60.09%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.56 ¥3.70

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.27 ¥1.78

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$0.88 ¥5.84

35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$2.30 ¥15.29

-24.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.42

$2.24 ¥14.91

-23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$2.23 ¥14.86

-20.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$1.13 ¥7.54

14.16%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.93 ¥12.85

-1.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$10.30 ¥68.5

42.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$3.93 ¥26.14

-18.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$17.63 ¥117

-36.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$1.89 ¥12.57

12.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.88

$1.31 ¥8.73

36.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.52 ¥10.11

34.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.68 ¥11.17

-8.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.97 ¥6.45

-23.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.21 ¥8.05

-23.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.57 ¥3.80

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.63 ¥4.22

-3.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$4.07 ¥27.10

9.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$14.93 ¥99.3

-6.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.93 ¥6.22

10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.65 ¥10.96

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.50 ¥3.30

18.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$15.90 ¥106

104.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.37 ¥9.13

45.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.46 ¥3.09

-28.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$7.48 ¥49.76

2.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.30 ¥8.62

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

$19.7K ¥131.3K

$23.2K ¥154.6K

-15.05%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$13.2K ¥88.2K

35.89%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$33.66 ¥224

74.81%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$14.52 ¥96.6

-40.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$10.84 ¥72.2

33.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$76.0 ¥506

-38.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$7.43 ¥49.41

229.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$6.93 ¥46.14

9.67%

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

$985 ¥6,555

$304 ¥2,020

224.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.1K

$4,423 ¥29.4K

454.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$19.68 ¥131

266.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$29.48 ¥196

36.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$65.5 ¥436

32.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$72.4 ¥481

74.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$251 ¥1,669

271.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,523

$156 ¥1,036

239.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$388 ¥2,580

487.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,292

$294 ¥1,959

272.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$3,516 ¥23.4K

235.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,577 ¥10.5K

316.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$667 ¥4,438

155.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.63

-14.05%

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

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

Last update for Nanning: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Nanning

$156 21.1% 70.6% $374

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Nanning

$245 33.3% 6.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Nanning

$84 11.4% 42.5% $62

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Nanning

$81 11% 25.5% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Nanning

$59 8% 28.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Nanning

$90 12.2% 45.1% $28

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Nanning

$22 2.9% 44% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $251 in Nanning. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Beijing (Pekin) are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $20 in Nanning. Groceries tell a different story – $230 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $245 in Nanning – so Beijing (Pekin) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Nanning

🕒 Local time

03:38 3:38 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

8,741,584

💱 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) Nanning 2,040 km ≈ 3 h 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 Nanning: 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 $1,105 in Nanning. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanning, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $251 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $20 in Nanning. 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 $737 in Nanning. That makes Nanning about 38% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Nanning – 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 Nanning. 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.