Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Shaoxing

For one person, living is cheaper in Shaoxing: $751 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Shaoxing
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Shaoxing Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Shaoxing

🇨🇳 China

$751

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $751 in Shaoxing, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Shaoxing $751

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,204 in Shaoxing, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Shaoxing $1,204

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,657 in Shaoxing, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Shaoxing $1,657

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 58% more than Shaoxing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Shaoxing are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Shaoxing 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.24

$3.72 ¥24.81

21.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$22.22 ¥148

35.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.74

$5.31 ¥35.43

0.94%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.78

$2.58 ¥17.20

38.37%

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

$0.51 ¥3.38

$0.62 ¥4.15

-17.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.36 ¥2.38

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.92

$1.15 ¥7.66

3.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.40

$2.19 ¥14.64

-21.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.64

$1.80 ¥11.97

-3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$1.96 ¥13.05

-9.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.59

$0.75 ¥4.99

72.00%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥12.98

$1.73 ¥11.55

12.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.3

$11.67 ¥77.8

22.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.07

$3.31 ¥22.05

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.1

$10.59 ¥70.6

4.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.15

$1.78 ¥11.90

19.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.72 ¥11.50

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.94

$1.72 ¥11.46

21.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.27

$1.09 ¥7.28

41.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.63

$0.83 ¥5.51

-16.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.07

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.03

$0.65 ¥4.36

15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.58 ¥3.87

5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.46

$3.44 ¥22.92

24.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥92.7

$10.61 ¥70.8

31.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.78

$0.77 ¥5.13

32.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.07

$1.62 ¥10.81

11.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.23 ¥1.54

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥232

$19.86 ¥133

75.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.70

$1.99 ¥13.25

-4.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.43 ¥2.87

-18.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.56

$9.04 ¥60.3

-19.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.85

$1.34 ¥8.93

-0.75%

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

$19.6K ¥131.0K

$19.5K ¥129.8K

0.90%

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

$18.0K ¥120.3K

$18.0K ¥120.4K

-0.04%

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

$59.1 ¥394

$47.33 ¥316

24.78%

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

$8.77 ¥58.5

$7.90 ¥52.7

11.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥94.8

$9.14 ¥61.0

55.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥274

$15.57 ¥104

163.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$6.79 ¥45.32

266.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.62

$6.82 ¥45.51

9.09%

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

$654 ¥4,365

$844 ¥5,630

-22.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.2K

$24.9K ¥166.3K

-3.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥475

$40.55 ¥270

75.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥267

$31.99 ¥213

25.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥588

$76.9 ¥513

14.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥844

$106 ¥708

19.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,302

$434 ¥2,898

117.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,491

$222 ¥1,484

135.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$596 ¥3,977

296.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,482

$450 ¥3,000

149.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥81.8K

$6,407 ¥42.7K

91.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.0K

$3,558 ¥23.7K

81.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.4K

$901 ¥6,009

90.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.36

-7.14%

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

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

Last update for Shaoxing: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Shaoxing

$222 29.6% 57.5% $301

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Shaoxing

$205 27.2% 10.5% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Shaoxing

$115 15.3% 21.6% $32

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Shaoxing

$91 12.1% 15.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Shaoxing

$64 8.6% 21.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Shaoxing

$29 3.9% 47.8% $27

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Shaoxing

$25 3.3% 39.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $434 in Shaoxing. 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 90% higher in Beijing (Pekin). Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $22 in Shaoxing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $205 – making Shaoxing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Shaoxing

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

4,912,239

💱 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) Shaoxing 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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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 Shaoxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 58%, 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 $1,127 in Shaoxing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shaoxing, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $434 there versus $945 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $22 in Shaoxing. 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 $751 in Shaoxing. That’s a gap of about 58%.

If budget matters most, go with Shaoxing. 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.