Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Pingdingshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Pingdingshan: $703 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Pingdingshan
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Pingdingshan Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Pingdingshan

🇨🇳 China

$703

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $703 in Pingdingshan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
Pingdingshan $703

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,104 in Pingdingshan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
Pingdingshan $1,104

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,506 in Pingdingshan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
Pingdingshan $1,506

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 68% more than Pingdingshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Pingdingshan are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Pingdingshan 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ¥29.86

$2.22 ¥14.86

101.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥198

$16.71 ¥112

77.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ¥34.80

$4.50 ¥30.12

15.78%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥24.86

$2.39 ¥15.96

55.65%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.56 ¥3.76

-10.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.26 ¥1.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$0.92 ¥6.17

27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$1.60 ¥10.72

3.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$1.69 ¥11.27

-2.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.68 ¥11.21

4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$0.93 ¥6.24

36.56%

Eggs

$1.88 ¥12.55

$0.97 ¥6.50

93.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$8.15 ¥54.5

79.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.03

$3.19 ¥21.35

-1.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ¥73.8

$10.35 ¥69.2

6.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$1.42 ¥9.51

42.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.03 ¥6.89

66.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.10 ¥7.37

89.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$1.17 ¥7.83

32.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.60 ¥4.01

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$0.72 ¥4.78

18.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.63 ¥4.21

9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.79 ¥5.26

-22.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ¥28.88

$3.38 ¥22.59

27.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$14.77 ¥98.8

-4.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$0.99 ¥6.62

2.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$2.10 ¥14.06

-13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.29 ¥1.92

141.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.48 ¥231

$17.69 ¥118

94.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ¥12.84

$0.72 ¥4.81

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.29 ¥1.91

13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$3.68 ¥24.61

108.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.08 ¥7.22

24.07%

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

$19.3K ¥128.9K

$12.1K ¥80.6K

59.85%

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

$18.3K ¥122.3K

$17.1K ¥114.4K

6.97%

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

$57.3 ¥383

$69.1 ¥462

-17.01%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$7.22 ¥48.30

26.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$10.50 ¥70.2

35.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

$42.31 ¥283

0.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥165

$14.71 ¥98.3

67.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 ¥49.48

$5.94 ¥39.70

24.58%

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

$660 ¥4,410

$382 ¥2,556

72.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.9K

$30.2K ¥201.8K

-19.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ¥467

$42.96 ¥287

62.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ¥265

$33.95 ¥227

16.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ¥594

$74.5 ¥498

19.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥849

$69.7 ¥466

81.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 ¥6,286

$296 ¥1,981

217.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$180 ¥1,206

190.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 ¥15.5K

$632 ¥4,229

266.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 ¥7,542

$378 ¥2,528

198.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥82.8K

$3,444 ¥23.0K

259.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ¥42.0K

$1,977 ¥13.2K

217.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ¥11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.29

-5.17%

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

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

Last update for Pingdingshan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2%

Pingdingshan

$180 25.7% 65.6% $343

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2%

Pingdingshan

$190 27% 16.2% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4%

Pingdingshan

$100 14.2% 32% $47

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Pingdingshan

$71 10.1% 34.3% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8%

Pingdingshan

$87 12.4% 7.6% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8%

Pingdingshan

$54 7.7% 5.2% $3

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Pingdingshan

$21 3% 48.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $296 in Pingdingshan. 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 $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $17.00 in Pingdingshan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $190 – making Pingdingshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Pingdingshan

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

5,000,000

💱 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) Pingdingshan 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Pingdingshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,054 in Pingdingshan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pingdingshan, 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 $17.00 in Pingdingshan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin) and $703 in Pingdingshan. That's a gap of about 68%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pingdingshan, where all-in costs run around $703, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Pingdingshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pingdingshan – 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 Pingdingshan. 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.