Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Tianjin

For one person, living is cheaper in Tianjin: $885 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Tianjin
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Tianjin Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Tianjin

🇨🇳 China

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $885 in Tianjin, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
Tianjin $885

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,368 in Tianjin, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
Tianjin $1,368

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,850 in Tianjin, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
Tianjin $1,850

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 34% more than Tianjin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Tianjin are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Tianjin 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ¥29.81

$4.12 ¥27.54

8.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥198

$23.49 ¥157

26.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ¥34.75

$5.86 ¥39.13

-11.09%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥24.82

$4.09 ¥27.33

-9.05%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.47 ¥3.12

6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.28 ¥1.88

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.83

$0.94 ¥6.31

24.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.06

$1.68 ¥11.20

-1.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.03

$1.44 ¥9.58

14.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.73

$2.33 ¥15.56

-24.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.50

$1.66 ¥11.07

-23.49%

Eggs

$1.88 ¥12.53

$1.27 ¥8.48

48.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥97.8

$14.76 ¥98.6

-0.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.00

$3.62 ¥24.15

-12.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ¥73.7

$9.61 ¥64.2

14.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.51

$1.66 ¥11.07

21.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.45

$1.55 ¥10.38

10.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.92

$1.72 ¥11.45

20.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.34

$1.19 ¥7.92

30.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.84 ¥5.60

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.67

$1.17 ¥7.82

-27.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.67 ¥4.45

2.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$0.71 ¥4.77

-14.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ¥28.83

$5.31 ¥35.44

-18.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 ¥94.1

$13.36 ¥89.2

5.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.75

$1.06 ¥7.08

-4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.15

$2.55 ¥17.03

-28.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.29 ¥1.91

141.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.48 ¥230

$8.96 ¥59.8

284.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ¥12.82

$1.59 ¥10.65

20.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$0.35 ¥2.35

-5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ¥51.2

$6.40 ¥42.72

19.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.92

$1.24 ¥8.25

8.06%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$19.3K ¥129.0K

-0.24%

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

$18.3K ¥122.2K

$17.5K ¥116.6K

4.75%

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

$57.3 ¥383

$93.3 ¥623

-38.58%

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

$9.13 ¥60.9

$6.26 ¥41.81

45.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥94.9

$7.37 ¥49.19

92.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

$16.59 ¥111

155.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥164

$10.42 ¥69.6

136.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 ¥49.41

$7.65 ¥51.1

-3.27%

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

$660 ¥4,403

$651 ¥4,349

1.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ¥466

$56.2 ¥375

24.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ¥265

$29.41 ¥196

34.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ¥593

$110 ¥734

-19.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥847

$137 ¥913

-7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 ¥6,277

$333 ¥2,223

182.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,496

$249 ¥1,660

110.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 ¥15.5K

$634 ¥4,236

265.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 ¥7,531

$459 ¥3,062

145.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥82.6K

$5,307 ¥35.4K

133.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ¥42.0K

$2,349 ¥15.7K

167.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ¥11.4K

$1,188 ¥7,931

44.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.54

-11.86%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 11, 2026

Last update for Tianjin: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2%

Tianjin

$249 28.1% 52.5% $275

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2%

Tianjin

$224 25.3% 1.2% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4%

Tianjin

$149 16.9% 2.1% $3.1

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Tianjin

$111 12.5% 2.4% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8%

Tianjin

$107 12.1% 32.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8%

Tianjin

$32 3.6% 44.2% $25

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Tianjin

$13 1.5% 67.1% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $333 in Tianjin. 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 44% 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 $23.00 in Tianjin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $224 – making Tianjin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Tianjin

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

13,866,009

💱 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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,328 in Tianjin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tianjin, 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 $23.00 in Tianjin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin) and $885 in Tianjin. That's a gap of about 34%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tianjin, where all-in costs run around $885, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Tianjin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tianjin – 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 Tianjin. 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.