Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Qingdao, Shandong

For one person, living is cheaper in Qingdao, Shandong: $773 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Qingdao, Shandong
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Qingdao, Shandong Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Qingdao, Shandong

🇨🇳 China

$773

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beijing (Pekin) and in Qingdao, Shandong

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $773 in Qingdao, Shandong, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Qingdao, Shandong $773

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,221 in Qingdao, Shandong, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Qingdao, Shandong $1,221

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,669 in Qingdao, Shandong, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Qingdao, Shandong $1,669

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 55% more than Qingdao, Shandong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Qingdao, Shandong are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Qingdao, Shandong 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.34

$3.04 ¥20.20

45.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$18.01 ¥120

64.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.71

$4.41 ¥29.32

21.77%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.78

$2.71 ¥17.98

37.64%

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

$0.56 ¥3.70

$0.54 ¥3.58

3.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.32 ¥2.13

-9.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.90

$1.05 ¥6.97

13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.53

$2.63 ¥17.48

-34.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.41

$1.92 ¥12.76

-10.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.78

$1.41 ¥9.39

25.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.60

$1.00 ¥6.63

29.00%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.72

$1.33 ¥8.86

43.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.7

$16.57 ¥110

-11.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.43

$4.24 ¥28.16

-24.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.6

$9.62 ¥63.9

16.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.13

$1.40 ¥9.31

52.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.87

$1.14 ¥7.56

57.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.60

$1.71 ¥11.39

19.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.18

$1.26 ¥8.40

21.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.68 ¥4.53

8.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$0.98 ¥6.49

-6.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.59

$1.00 ¥6.67

-31.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.53

$3.85 ¥25.56

15.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.1

$14.83 ¥98.6

-5.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.83

$1.03 ¥6.86

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥11.99

$1.56 ¥10.39

15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.29 ¥1.90

103.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$17.97 ¥119

81.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.31

$1.46 ¥9.69

36.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$0.41 ¥2.74

-19.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$9.14 ¥60.7

-15.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.63

$1.26 ¥8.40

3.17%

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

$19.7K ¥131.2K

$19.6K ¥130.0K

0.89%

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

$18.0K ¥119.6K

$17.4K ¥115.4K

3.67%

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

$58.8 ¥391

$69.3 ¥460

-15.07%

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

$8.71 ¥57.9

$6.65 ¥44.21

30.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.4

$7.64 ¥50.7

89.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥310

$21.14 ¥140

120.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$17.67 ¥117

38.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.5

$6.29 ¥41.83

20.83%

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

$985 ¥6,546

$364 ¥2,419

170.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥162.9K

$17.9K ¥119.0K

36.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥479

$52.8 ¥350

36.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥267

$48.91 ¥325

-17.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$94.5 ¥628

-8.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥838

$90.6 ¥602

39.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,200

$340 ¥2,256

174.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,519

$197 ¥1,309

168.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.1K

$769 ¥5,110

196.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,282

$401 ¥2,666

173.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.5K

$3,272 ¥21.7K

260.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.6K

$2,096 ¥13.9K

213.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.3K

$1,220 ¥8,109

39.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.37

-7.42%

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

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

Last update for Qingdao, Shandong: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Qingdao, Shandong

$197 25.5% 62.8% $332

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Qingdao, Shandong

$223 28.8% 3.1% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Qingdao, Shandong

$129 16.7% 11.8% $17

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Qingdao, Shandong

$84 10.9% 23% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Qingdao, Shandong

$84 10.8% 1.8% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Qingdao, Shandong

$34 4.4% 45.5% $28

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Qingdao, Shandong

$23 2.9% 41.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $340 in Qingdao, Shandong. 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 40% 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 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $18 in Qingdao, Shandong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $223 – making Qingdao, Shandong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Qingdao, Shandong

🕒 Local time

21:11 9:11 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

10,071,722

💱 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) Qingdao, Shandong 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 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 Qingdao, Shandong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,796 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,159 in Qingdao, Shandong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qingdao, Shandong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $340 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $18 in Qingdao, Shandong. 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 $773 in Qingdao, Shandong. That makes Qingdao, Shandong about 35% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Qingdao, Shandong, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Qingdao, Shandong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qingdao, Shandong – 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 Qingdao, Shandong. 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.