Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: $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
35

Cost of Living Index in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
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Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🇨🇳 China

$708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beijing (Pekin) and in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $708

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,174 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,174

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,639 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,639

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$3.71 ¥24.67

19.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$25.88 ¥172

14.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$4.68 ¥31.17

14.74%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$3.18 ¥21.16

17.30%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.44 ¥2.93

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.33 ¥2.20

-12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$0.88 ¥5.84

35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$1.49 ¥9.90

16.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.43

$1.82 ¥12.10

-5.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$1.19 ¥7.89

48.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$0.87 ¥5.80

48.28%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.99 ¥13.23

-4.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$19.03 ¥127

-22.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$3.78 ¥25.17

-14.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$6.11 ¥40.65

83.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$2.28 ¥15.18

-6.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.89

$1.40 ¥9.31

27.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.48 ¥9.88

38.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.32 ¥8.80

15.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.92 ¥6.13

-19.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.94 ¥6.29

-2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.67 ¥4.44

2.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.58 ¥3.86

5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$3.68 ¥24.52

20.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$13.30 ¥88.5

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.82 ¥5.43

25.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.52 ¥10.15

18.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.29 ¥1.92

103.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$16.68 ¥111

95.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.96 ¥13.05

2.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.36 ¥2.37

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$7.05 ¥46.90

8.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.23 ¥8.20

5.69%

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

$19.7K ¥131.4K

$17.6K ¥117.4K

11.90%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$18.1K ¥120.8K

-0.80%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$18.87 ¥126

211.82%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$10.02 ¥66.7

-13.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$11.05 ¥73.5

31.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$59.0 ¥393

-20.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$15.56 ¥104

57.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$7.46 ¥49.64

1.88%

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

$985 ¥6,556

$299 ¥1,990

229.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

$17.7K ¥118.0K

38.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$45.39 ¥302

58.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$41.76 ¥278

-3.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$59.8 ¥398

45.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$59.6 ¥397

111.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$260 ¥1,727

259.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,524

$172 ¥1,141

208.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$604 ¥4,017

277.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,293

$369 ¥2,457

196.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$2,998 ¥20.0K

293.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,945 ¥12.9K

237.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.5

-10.86%

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

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

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$172 24.2% 67.6% $358

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$216 30.5% 5.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$93 13.1% 36.5% $53

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$92 13% 15.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$40 5.6% 51.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$74 10.4% 19.4% $12

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$22 3% 44% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $260 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. 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 $26 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $216 – making Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🕒 Local time

21:05 9:05 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

831,113

💱 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) Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Beijing (Pekin)
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: 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 $1,796 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,063 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $260 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $26 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. That’s a gap of about 69%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 69% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.