Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Wuxi

For one person, living is cheaper in Wuxi: $758 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Wuxi
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Wuxi Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Wuxi

🇨🇳 China

$758

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $758 in Wuxi, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Wuxi $758

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,199 in Wuxi, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Wuxi $1,199

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

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Wuxi $1,639

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 58% more than Wuxi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Wuxi are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Wuxi 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.34

$3.68 ¥24.49

20.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$23.69 ¥157

25.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.71

$4.60 ¥30.60

16.74%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.78

$3.13 ¥20.77

19.17%

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

$0.56 ¥3.70

$0.52 ¥3.47

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.32 ¥2.13

-9.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.90

$1.47 ¥9.75

-19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.53

$3.05 ¥20.28

-43.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.41

$1.83 ¥12.14

-6.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.78

$2.15 ¥14.26

-17.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.60

$1.10 ¥7.34

17.27%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.72

$1.92 ¥12.73

-0.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.7

$13.83 ¥91.9

6.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.43

$3.34 ¥22.16

-3.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.6

$11.43 ¥76.0

-1.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.13

$2.66 ¥17.68

-19.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.87

$1.31 ¥8.68

36.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.60

$1.63 ¥10.82

25.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.18

$1.17 ¥7.78

30.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.64 ¥4.26

15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$0.80 ¥5.33

15.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.59

$0.63 ¥4.19

9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.03

$0.58 ¥3.88

5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.53

$5.29 ¥35.17

-16.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.1

$11.77 ¥78.2

18.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.83

$0.93 ¥6.16

10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥11.99

$2.17 ¥14.43

-17.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.43 ¥2.86

37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$18.44 ¥123

76.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.31

$1.53 ¥10.18

30.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$0.43 ¥2.85

-23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$8.73 ¥58.0

-12.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.63

$1.28 ¥8.49

1.56%

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

$19.7K ¥131.2K

$19.5K ¥129.7K

1.15%

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

$18.0K ¥119.6K

$18.8K ¥125.2K

-4.43%

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

$58.8 ¥391

$36.25 ¥241

62.32%

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

$8.71 ¥57.9

$11.66 ¥77.5

-25.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.4

$27.85 ¥185

-47.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥310

$47.29 ¥314

-1.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$7.25 ¥48.15

237.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.5

$5.87 ¥39.04

29.47%

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

$985 ¥6,546

$436 ¥2,897

125.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥162.9K

$16.2K ¥107.5K

51.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥479

$35.17 ¥234

104.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥267

$21.96 ¥146

83.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$65.6 ¥436

32.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥838

$44.15 ¥293

185.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,200

$332 ¥2,204

181.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,519

$204 ¥1,353

160.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.1K

$583 ¥3,871

291.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,282

$385 ¥2,556

184.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.5K

$3,637 ¥24.2K

224.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.6K

$1,969 ¥13.1K

233.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.3K

$1,059 ¥7,038

61.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.13

-0.32%

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

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

Last update for Wuxi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Wuxi

$204 26.9% 61.6% $326

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Wuxi

$223 29.5% 2.8% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Wuxi

$75 9.9% 48.7% $71

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Wuxi

$98 12.9% 10.5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Wuxi

$76 10% 7.7% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Wuxi

$59 7.8% 4.6% $2.9

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Wuxi

$24 3.1% 38.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $332 in Wuxi. 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 61% higher in Beijing (Pekin). Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $24 in Wuxi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $223 – making Wuxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Wuxi

🕒 Local time

18:34 6:34 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

7,462,135

💱 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) Wuxi 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 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 Wuxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 58%, 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 $1,137 in Wuxi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wuxi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $332 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $24 in Wuxi. 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 $758 in Wuxi. That makes Wuxi about 37% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Wuxi – 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 Wuxi. 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.