Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Shijiazhuang

For one person, living is cheaper in Shijiazhuang: $682 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Shijiazhuang
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Shijiazhuang Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Shijiazhuang

🇨🇳 China

$682

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $682 in Shijiazhuang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Shijiazhuang $682

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,021 in Shijiazhuang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Shijiazhuang $1,021

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,359 in Shijiazhuang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Shijiazhuang $1,359

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 74% more than Shijiazhuang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Shijiazhuang are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Shijiazhuang 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.31

$1.76 ¥11.80

157.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥202

$18.64 ¥125

61.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$5.68 ¥37.97

-5.63%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.84

$3.27 ¥21.89

9.17%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.48 ¥3.19

6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.27 ¥1.82

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$0.78 ¥5.23

52.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.71 ¥11.42

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$1.26 ¥8.44

38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$1.16 ¥7.78

52.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.68 ¥4.53

89.71%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.29 ¥8.61

51.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.5

$16.50 ¥110

-13.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$2.63 ¥17.58

25.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$9.67 ¥64.7

14.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$1.66 ¥11.10

27.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.23 ¥8.24

40.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.98

$0.77 ¥5.17

171.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$1.19 ¥7.95

29.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.63 ¥4.21

9.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$0.62 ¥4.16

46.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$0.68 ¥4.56

10.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.43 ¥2.88

41.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.52

$3.80 ¥25.39

12.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥93.0

$3.83 ¥25.58

262.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$0.71 ¥4.78

43.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$0.77 ¥5.17

135.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$0.31 ¥2.08

122.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥233

$17.67 ¥118

97.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.23 ¥8.20

54.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.37 ¥2.50

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.68

$3.56 ¥23.81

104.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.24 ¥8.30

7.26%

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

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$19.7K ¥131.4K

-0.11%

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

$18.0K ¥120.6K

$17.3K ¥116.0K

3.99%

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

$59.1 ¥395

$95.2 ¥637

-37.98%

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

$8.77 ¥58.7

$4.40 ¥29.42

99.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$6.60 ¥44.16

115.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

$13.69 ¥91.5

199.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$15.08 ¥101

65.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.74

$5.56 ¥37.19

33.81%

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

$654 ¥4,375

$369 ¥2,467

77.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.5K

$5,270 ¥35.2K

355.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥476

$50.8 ¥339

40.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥268

$26.12 ¥175

53.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥590

$74.6 ¥499

18.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥846

$52.8 ¥353

139.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

$300 ¥2,006

214.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

$184 ¥1,231

184.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$419 ¥2,802

463.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

$279 ¥1,864

302.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥82.0K

$2,534 ¥16.9K

383.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.1K

$1,709 ¥11.4K

277.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$808 ¥5,400

112.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.31

-5.74%

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

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

Last update for Shijiazhuang: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Shijiazhuang

$184 27% 64.8% $339

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Shijiazhuang

$172 25.3% 24.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Shijiazhuang

$92 13.5% 37.3% $55

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Shijiazhuang

$81 11.8% 25% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Shijiazhuang

$106 15.6% 29.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Shijiazhuang

$25 3.6% 55.6% $31

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Shijiazhuang

$22 3.2% 46.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $300 in Shijiazhuang. 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 112% 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 $19.00 in Shijiazhuang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $172 – making Shijiazhuang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Shijiazhuang

🕒 Local time

20:42 8:42 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

11,235,086

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,023 in Shijiazhuang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shijiazhuang, 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 $19.00 in Shijiazhuang. 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 $682 in Shijiazhuang. That's a gap of about 74%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shijiazhuang, where all-in costs run around $682, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Shijiazhuang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shijiazhuang – 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 Shijiazhuang. 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.