Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Shenyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenyang: $708 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Shenyang
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Shenyang Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Shenyang

🇨🇳 China

$708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $708 in Shenyang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Shenyang $708

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,046 in Shenyang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Shenyang $1,046

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,384 in Shenyang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Shenyang $1,384

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

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Shenyang are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Shenyang 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$2.97 ¥19.75

48.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$22.45 ¥149

32.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$5.40 ¥35.94

-0.56%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$2.50 ¥16.67

49.20%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.47 ¥3.11

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.39 ¥2.57

-25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$0.86 ¥5.73

38.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$1.89 ¥12.56

-8.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.43

$2.00 ¥13.33

-14.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$2.38 ¥15.82

-25.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$1.08 ¥7.19

19.44%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.07 ¥7.10

78.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$11.93 ¥79.4

-5.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$1.79 ¥11.92

18.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.89

$1.17 ¥7.76

52.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.47 ¥9.77

4.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.62 ¥4.12

11.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.64 ¥4.29

-4.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.58

$3.69 ¥24.56

20.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$16.70 ¥111

-16.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.68 ¥4.54

51.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.13 ¥7.53

59.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.90

$0.29 ¥1.91

103.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥217

$14.87 ¥99.0

118.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.38 ¥9.16

44.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.31 ¥2.07

6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$3.06 ¥20.34

150.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.30 ¥8.65

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

$19.7K ¥131.4K

$19.4K ¥128.9K

1.89%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$17.5K ¥116.1K

3.16%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$76.2 ¥507

-22.75%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$15.50 ¥103

-43.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$14.86 ¥98.9

-2.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$22.51 ¥150

107.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$10.68 ¥71.1

129.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$5.88 ¥39.10

29.25%

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

$985 ¥6,556

$549 ¥3,656

79.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

$21.9K ¥145.6K

12.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$42.33 ¥282

70.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥578

$60.9 ¥405

42.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$70.1 ¥467

79.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$226 ¥1,501

313.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,524

$228 ¥1,516

132.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$538 ¥3,583

323.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,293

$344 ¥2,290

218.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$1,814 ¥12.1K

550.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,102 ¥7,333

495.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$1,082 ¥7,201

57.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

4.37

-28.60%

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

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

Last update for Shenyang: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Shenyang

$228 32.2% 57% $302

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Shenyang

$161 * 22.7% 30% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Shenyang

$78 * 11% 46.7% $68

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Shenyang

$81 11.5% 25.2% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Shenyang

$107 15.1% 29.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Shenyang

$34 4.8% 44.7% $28

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Shenyang

$19 2.7% 50.8% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $226 in Shenyang. 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 58% 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 $22 in Shenyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $161 – making Shenyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Shenyang

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

9,199,601

💱 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) Shenyang 630 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 Shenyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,796 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,062 in Shenyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shenyang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $22 in Shenyang. 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 $708 in Shenyang. That makes Shenyang about 41% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Shenyang, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Shenyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shenyang – 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 Shenyang. 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.