Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Qinhuangdao

For one person, living is cheaper in Qinhuangdao: $714 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Qinhuangdao
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Qinhuangdao Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Qinhuangdao

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $714 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Qinhuangdao $714

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,135 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Qinhuangdao $1,135

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,556 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Qinhuangdao $1,556

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 66% more than Qinhuangdao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Qinhuangdao are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Qinhuangdao 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.18

$2.76 ¥18.36

64.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$21.79 ¥145

38.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.67

$4.88 ¥32.50

9.84%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.73

$3.04 ¥20.24

17.43%

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

$0.51 ¥3.37

$0.47 ¥3.12

8.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.27 ¥1.78

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.90

$0.92 ¥6.15

29.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.38

$2.13 ¥14.18

-19.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.61

$1.85 ¥12.31

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.77

$1.55 ¥10.33

14.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.57

$0.89 ¥5.92

44.94%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥12.95

$1.53 ¥10.20

27.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.1

$13.05 ¥86.9

9.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.03

$3.11 ¥20.71

6.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥73.9

$10.33 ¥68.8

7.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.12

$1.87 ¥12.46

13.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.51

$1.25 ¥8.32

38.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.91

$1.47 ¥9.77

42.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.25

$1.15 ¥7.63

33.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.62

$0.73 ¥4.87

-5.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.06

$0.95 ¥6.33

-4.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.02

$0.60 ¥3.99

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.51 ¥3.41

19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.40

$3.05 ¥20.32

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥92.6

$10.69 ¥71.2

30.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.77

$0.79 ¥5.25

29.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.04

$1.64 ¥10.89

10.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.63

$0.27 ¥1.78

155.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥232

$16.97 ¥113

105.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.68

$1.42 ¥9.48

33.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.33 ¥2.18

6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.46

$6.62 ¥44.04

9.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.83

$1.14 ¥7.58

16.67%

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

$19.6K ¥130.7K

$19.2K ¥127.8K

2.24%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$17.1K ¥113.8K

5.49%

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

$59.1 ¥393

$44.64 ¥297

32.30%

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

$8.77 ¥58.4

$9.87 ¥65.7

-11.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥94.6

$11.90 ¥79.2

19.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥273

$42.14 ¥281

-2.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$14.09 ¥93.8

76.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.52

$5.79 ¥38.55

28.50%

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

$654 ¥4,356

$337 ¥2,244

94.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥159.8K

$17.2K ¥114.2K

39.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥474

$44.18 ¥294

61.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥266

$30.35 ¥202

31.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥587

$71.8 ¥478

22.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥842

$70.6 ¥470

79.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,289

$276 ¥1,835

242.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,484

$191 ¥1,272

173.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.7K

$601 ¥3,998

293.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,467

$362 ¥2,413

209.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥81.6K

$3,063 ¥20.4K

300.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥42.9K

$2,068 ¥13.8K

211.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.4K

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): October 17, 2026

Last update for Qinhuangdao: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Qinhuangdao

$191 26.8% 63.5% $332

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Qinhuangdao

$199 27.9% 12.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Qinhuangdao

$98 13.7% 33.4% $49

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Qinhuangdao

$85 11.9% 21% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Qinhuangdao

$66 9.3% 19.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Qinhuangdao

$54 7.5% 4% $2.2

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Qinhuangdao

$21 3% 48.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $276 in Qinhuangdao. 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 $22 in Qinhuangdao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $199 – making Qinhuangdao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Qinhuangdao

🕒 Local time

04:44 4:44 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

2,987,605

💱 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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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 Qinhuangdao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 66%, 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 $1,071 in Qinhuangdao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qinhuangdao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $276 there versus $945 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $22 in Qinhuangdao. 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 $714 in Qinhuangdao. That’s a gap of about 66%.

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

For expats, Qinhuangdao is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 66% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.