Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Putian

For one person, living is cheaper in Putian: $518 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Putian
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Putian Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Putian

🇨🇳 China

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $518 in Putian, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Putian $518

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $854 in Putian, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Putian $854

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,190 in Putian, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Putian $1,190

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 129% more than Putian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Putian are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Putian 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.31

$2.21 ¥14.79

104.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥202

$23.26 ¥156

29.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$5.17 ¥34.57

3.68%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.84

$2.44 ¥16.32

46.31%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.43 ¥2.88

18.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.29 ¥1.92

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$0.77 ¥5.16

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.43

$2.93 ¥19.58

-41.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$1.47 ¥9.82

18.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$2.25 ¥15.07

-21.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.93 ¥6.19

38.71%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.58 ¥10.58

23.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.5

$11.73 ¥78.4

21.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$2.43 ¥16.22

36.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$12.18 ¥81.4

-8.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$2.55 ¥17.03

-16.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.42 ¥9.49

21.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.98

$1.70 ¥11.34

22.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$1.98 ¥13.25

-22.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$1.02 ¥6.79

-32.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$1.77 ¥11.86

-48.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$0.93 ¥6.19

-19.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.50 ¥3.36

22.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.52

$3.04 ¥20.31

40.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥93.0

$11.18 ¥74.8

24.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$0.83 ¥5.58

22.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.71 ¥11.44

5.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$0.74 ¥4.92

-6.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥233

$22.38 ¥150

55.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.52 ¥10.16

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.29 ¥1.94

20.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.68

$7.02 ¥46.94

3.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.31 ¥8.76

1.53%

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

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$19.4K ¥129.8K

1.14%

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

$18.0K ¥120.6K

$17.8K ¥118.8K

1.51%

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

$59.1 ¥395

$44.03 ¥294

34.14%

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

$8.77 ¥58.7

$8.87 ¥59.3

-1.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$10.55 ¥70.6

34.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.74

$10.08 ¥67.4

-26.19%

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

$654 ¥4,375

$492 ¥3,286

33.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.5K

$24.5K ¥163.6K

-1.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥476

$39.10 ¥261

82.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥268

$29.11 ¥195

37.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥590

$103 ¥691

-14.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥846

$85.7 ¥573

47.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥82.0K

$2,637 ¥17.6K

364.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.1K

$1,115 ¥7,452

478.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$480 ¥3,211

257.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.46

-9.83%

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

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

Last update for Putian: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Putian

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Putian

$215 41.6% 5.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Putian

$116 22.4% 21.1% $31

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Putian

$75 14.5% 30.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Putian

$63 12.3% 22.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Putian

$20 * 3.9% 64% $36

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Putian

$28 5.5% 31.5% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 257% 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 $23.00 in Putian. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $215 – making Putian the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Putian

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

1,954,000

💱 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) Putian 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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 Putian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 129%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $777 in Putian. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) and $23.00 in Putian. 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 $518 in Putian. That's a gap of about 129%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Putian, where all-in costs run around $518, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Putian it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Putian – 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 Putian. 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.