Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Puning

For one person, living is cheaper in Puning: $712 a month against $1,190 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Puning
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Puning Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,190

/mo nomad

Puning

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $712 in Puning, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,190
Puning $712

A couple spends around $1,889 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,131 in Puning, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,889
Puning $1,131

A family of three spends $2,588 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,549 in Puning, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,588
Puning $1,549

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 67% more than Puning, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Puning are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Puning 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 ¥30.22

$2.73 ¥18.19

66.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.58 ¥197

$21.24 ¥141

39.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 ¥34.76

$4.76 ¥31.66

9.66%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.86

$2.97 ¥19.77

25.59%

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

$0.53 ¥3.53

$0.47 ¥3.11

12.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.29 ¥1.96

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.79

$0.94 ¥6.27

24.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.30

$2.06 ¥13.68

-17.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ¥11.28

$1.86 ¥12.40

-9.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.29

$1.62 ¥10.81

4.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.67

$0.89 ¥5.93

46.07%

Eggs

$1.99 ¥13.24

$1.60 ¥10.64

24.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.82 ¥98.6

$12.99 ¥86.5

14.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ¥21.89

$3.18 ¥21.15

3.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 ¥72.7

$10.04 ¥66.9

8.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.93

$1.82 ¥12.12

14.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 ¥11.40

$1.20 ¥7.98

42.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.65

$1.53 ¥10.15

33.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ¥10.38

$1.10 ¥7.36

41.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.92

$0.70 ¥4.64

5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.57

$0.91 ¥6.08

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ¥4.91

$0.55 ¥3.69

34.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.54 ¥3.61

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ¥28.32

$3.08 ¥20.50

37.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.22 ¥94.7

$10.71 ¥71.3

32.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.50

$0.79 ¥5.28

24.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ¥12.55

$1.60 ¥10.67

17.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.29 ¥1.95

96.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.59 ¥197

$16.78 ¥112

76.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ¥12.89

$1.42 ¥9.46

36.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$0.35 ¥2.34

-5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.08 ¥47.16

$6.54 ¥43.54

8.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.11

$1.18 ¥7.88

16.10%

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

$19.8K ¥131.9K

$19.2K ¥128.1K

2.96%

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

$17.9K ¥119.2K

$17.1K ¥113.8K

4.72%

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

$59.7 ¥397

$45.86 ¥305

30.16%

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

$8.90 ¥59.3

$9.63 ¥64.1

-7.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.41 ¥96.0

$11.49 ¥76.5

25.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 ¥312

$41.07 ¥273

14.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.86 ¥166

$13.90 ¥92.6

78.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ¥49.96

$5.77 ¥38.43

29.98%

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

$968 ¥6,444

$339 ¥2,256

185.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.5K ¥296.6K

$17.1K ¥113.6K

160.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 ¥481

$44.45 ¥296

62.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.00 ¥266

$31.03 ¥207

28.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 ¥595

$71.8 ¥478

24.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ¥830

$72.2 ¥481

72.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 ¥6,274

$278 ¥1,852

238.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 ¥3,495

$190 ¥1,267

175.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,250 ¥15.0K

$599 ¥3,991

275.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 ¥7,066

$361 ¥2,404

193.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K ¥80.9K

$2,972 ¥19.8K

308.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,534 ¥43.5K

$2,066 ¥13.8K

216.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,688 ¥11.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.89

-19.79%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): November 2, 2026

Last update for Puning: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$525 44.1%

Puning

$190 26.7% 63.8% $335

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$228 19.2%

Puning

$199 27.9% 12.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.3%

Puning

$99 13.9% 32.7% $48

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.2%

Puning

$84 11.7% 23.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$83 7%

Puning

$67 9.4% 19.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Puning

$53 7.4% 14.9% $9.2

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$35 3%

Puning

$21 3% 40.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $942 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $278 in Puning. 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 $21 in Puning. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $199 – making Puning the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Puning

🕒 Local time

03:18 3:18 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

2,508,900

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Beijing (Pekin) Puning 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 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 Puning: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,784 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,068 in Puning. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puning, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $278 there versus $942 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $21 in Puning. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,190 in Beijing (Pekin) and $712 in Puning. That makes Puning about 40% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Puning, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,190. In Puning it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Puning is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 40% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.