Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Ningbo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ningbo: $691 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Ningbo
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Ningbo Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Ningbo

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $691 in Ningbo, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Ningbo $691

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,179 in Ningbo, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Ningbo $1,179

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,668 in Ningbo, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Ningbo $1,668

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 72% more than Ningbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Ningbo are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Ningbo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.31

$2.89 ¥19.32

56.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥202

$30.12 ¥201

0.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$4.46 ¥29.83

20.18%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.84

$3.52 ¥23.55

1.42%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.44 ¥2.93

15.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.31 ¥2.08

-9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$1.04 ¥6.95

14.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.43

$3.44 ¥23.00

-50.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$1.74 ¥11.65

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$1.16 ¥7.79

52.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.70 ¥4.66

84.29%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.56 ¥10.46

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.5

$15.18 ¥101

-5.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$3.67 ¥24.53

-9.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$8.78 ¥58.7

26.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$1.07 ¥7.13

98.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.56 ¥10.42

10.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.98

$1.57 ¥10.52

33.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$1.22 ¥8.13

26.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.62 ¥4.12

11.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$0.70 ¥4.69

30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$0.65 ¥4.32

15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.57 ¥3.83

7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.52

$4.61 ¥30.79

-7.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥93.0

$8.03 ¥53.7

73.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$0.81 ¥5.43

25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.50 ¥10.04

20.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$0.31 ¥2.08

122.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥233

$16.67 ¥111

108.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.68 ¥11.21

13.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.35 ¥2.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.68

$7.16 ¥47.90

1.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.33 ¥8.88

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

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$19.6K ¥131.1K

0.10%

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

$18.0K ¥120.6K

$18.1K ¥121.3K

-0.54%

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

$59.1 ¥395

$51.9 ¥347

13.77%

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

$8.77 ¥58.7

$6.67 ¥44.63

31.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$7.80 ¥52.1

82.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

$25.44 ¥170

61.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$14.16 ¥94.7

75.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.74

$8.05 ¥53.8

-7.58%

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

$654 ¥4,375

$932 ¥6,234

-29.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.5K

$15.9K ¥106.6K

50.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥476

$63.8 ¥427

11.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥268

$26.75 ¥179

49.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥590

$62.2 ¥416

41.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥846

$52.6 ¥351

140.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

$358 ¥2,394

163.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

$184 ¥1,230

184.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$766 ¥5,121

208.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

$469 ¥3,136

139.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥82.0K

$3,784 ¥25.3K

224.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.1K

$2,053 ¥13.7K

214.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$1,193 ¥7,977

43.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.18

-1.89%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 17, 2026

Last update for Ningbo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Ningbo

$184 26.6% 64.8% $339

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Ningbo

$191 27.7% 16.3% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Ningbo

$92 13.4% 37% $54

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Ningbo

$94 13.6% 12.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Ningbo

$66 9.6% 19.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Ningbo

$42 6% 25.8% $14

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Ningbo

$21 3.1% 48.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $358 in Ningbo. 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 44% 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 Ningbo. Groceries tell a different story – $229 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $191 in Ningbo – so Ningbo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Ningbo

🕒 Local time

09:31 9:31 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

7,605,689

💱 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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Beijing (Pekin) Ningbo 1,210 km ≈ 2 h 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 Ningbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,036 in Ningbo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ningbo, 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 $30.00 in Ningbo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin) and $691 in Ningbo. That's a gap of about 72%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ningbo, where all-in costs run around $691, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Ningbo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ningbo – 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 Ningbo. 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.