Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Quzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Quzhou: $701 a month against $1,185 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 Quzhou
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Quzhou Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Quzhou

🇨🇳 China

$701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $701 in Quzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Quzhou $701

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,153 in Quzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Quzhou $1,153

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,606 in Quzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Quzhou $1,606

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 69% more than Quzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Quzhou are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Quzhou 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.24

$2.77 ¥18.45

63.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$29.42 ¥196

2.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.74

$4.52 ¥30.17

18.58%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.78

$3.55 ¥23.67

0.56%

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

$0.51 ¥3.38

$0.47 ¥3.16

8.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.29 ¥1.93

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.92

$1.03 ¥6.88

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.40

$3.45 ¥23.04

-50.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.64

$1.74 ¥11.58

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$1.14 ¥7.60

55.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.59

$0.70 ¥4.66

84.29%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥12.98

$1.65 ¥10.97

18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.3

$15.10 ¥101

-5.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.07

$3.66 ¥24.44

-9.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.1

$9.06 ¥60.4

22.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.15

$1.02 ¥6.83

107.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.55 ¥10.34

11.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.94

$1.49 ¥9.97

40.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.27

$1.17 ¥7.83

31.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.63

$0.63 ¥4.17

9.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.07

$0.75 ¥5.02

21.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.03

$0.70 ¥4.65

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.58 ¥3.87

5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.46

$4.61 ¥30.77

-7.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥92.7

$8.06 ¥53.7

72.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.78

$0.81 ¥5.39

25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.07

$1.43 ¥9.57

26.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.31 ¥2.08

122.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥232

$18.24 ¥122

90.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.70

$1.74 ¥11.63

9.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.34 ¥2.29

2.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.56

$7.04 ¥46.94

3.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.85

$1.31 ¥8.72

1.53%

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

$19.6K ¥131.0K

$19.5K ¥129.9K

0.80%

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

$18.0K ¥120.3K

$17.8K ¥118.5K

1.51%

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

$59.1 ¥394

$51.8 ¥346

13.97%

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

$8.77 ¥58.5

$6.59 ¥43.99

33.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥94.8

$7.92 ¥52.8

79.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥274

$40.84 ¥272

0.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$15.02 ¥100

65.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.62

$7.74 ¥51.6

-3.88%

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

$654 ¥4,365

$415 ¥2,767

57.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.2K

$16.0K ¥106.6K

50.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥475

$62.4 ¥416

14.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥267

$26.59 ¥177

50.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥588

$61.6 ¥411

43.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥844

$51.7 ¥345

144.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,302

$302 ¥2,012

213.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,491

$179 ¥1,196

191.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$618 ¥4,125

281.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,482

$381 ¥2,542

194.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥81.8K

$3,522 ¥23.5K

248.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.0K

$1,905 ¥12.7K

238.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.4K

$713 ¥4,759

140.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.18

-1.89%

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

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

Last update for Quzhou: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Quzhou

$179 25.6% 65.7% $344

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Quzhou

$191 27.3% 16.3% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Quzhou

$91 13% 37.9% $56

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Quzhou

$93 13.3% 13.2% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Quzhou

$66 9.5% 19.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Quzhou

$56 8% 0.7% $0.4

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Quzhou

$23 3.3% 44.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $302 in Quzhou. 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 140% 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 $29.00 in Quzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $191 – making Quzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Quzhou

🕒 Local time

21:59 9:59 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

2,122,661

💱 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) Quzhou 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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Beijing (Pekin)
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Beijing (Pekin) vs Quzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 69%, 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 $1,051 in Quzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quzhou, 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 $29.00 in Quzhou. 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 $701 in Quzhou. That's a gap of about 69%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quzhou, where all-in costs run around $701, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Quzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quzhou – 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 Quzhou. 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.