Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Taiyuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Taiyuan: $587 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Taiyuan
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Taiyuan Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Taiyuan

🇨🇳 China

$587

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $587 in Taiyuan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Taiyuan $587

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

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Taiyuan $913

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,238 in Taiyuan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Taiyuan $1,238

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 104% more than Taiyuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Taiyuan are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Taiyuan 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$2.23 ¥14.82

98.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$15.13 ¥101

96.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$4.44 ¥29.56

20.95%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$2.63 ¥17.50

41.83%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.47 ¥3.14

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.31 ¥2.07

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$1.22 ¥8.10

-2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$2.09 ¥13.90

-17.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.43

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$0.82 ¥5.48

57.32%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$0.92 ¥6.15

107.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$12.83 ¥85.4

-12.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$1.86 ¥12.37

14.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.89

$1.31 ¥8.74

36.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$0.84 ¥5.61

144.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.13 ¥7.55

35.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.51 ¥3.40

45.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.29 ¥1.93

217.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.43 ¥2.85

41.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$3.05 ¥20.32

45.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$7.30 ¥48.56

91.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.89 ¥5.90

15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.46 ¥9.73

23.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.29 ¥1.90

103.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$13.44 ¥89.5

142.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.17 ¥7.77

70.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.25 ¥1.67

32.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$3.73 ¥24.82

105.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.26 ¥8.36

3.17%

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

$19.7K ¥131.4K

$19.5K ¥129.5K

1.40%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$17.2K ¥114.7K

4.47%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$93.6 ¥623

-37.16%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$10.61 ¥70.6

-17.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$12.66 ¥84.2

14.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$45.02 ¥300

3.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$8.83 ¥58.8

177.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$6.60 ¥43.91

15.15%

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

$985 ¥6,556

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$27.82 ¥185

159.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$66.3 ¥441

-39.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$75.1 ¥500

15.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$60.9 ¥405

107.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$223 ¥1,481

319.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,524

$114 ¥761

363.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$548 ¥3,645

316.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,293

$262 ¥1,743

318.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$2,692 ¥17.9K

338.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,235 ¥8,217

431.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$947 ¥6,301

80.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.83

-18.54%

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

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

Last update for Taiyuan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Taiyuan

$114 19.5% 78.4% $415

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Taiyuan

$101 * 17.2% 56.1% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Taiyuan

$104 17.6% 29.2% $43

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Taiyuan

$76 13% 30.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Taiyuan

$117 19.9% 42.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Taiyuan

$58 9.9% 6% $3.7

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Taiyuan

$17 2.9% 55.9% $22

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 $223 in Taiyuan. 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 80% 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 $15 in Taiyuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $101 – making Taiyuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Taiyuan

🕒 Local time

07:46 7:46 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

3,525,300

💱 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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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 Taiyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 104%, 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 $881 in Taiyuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taiyuan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $223 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

Public transport costs about 59% less in Taiyuan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 128% more in Beijing (Pekin), though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Taiyuan, where all-in costs run around $587, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Taiyuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

If budget matters most, go with Taiyuan. 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.