Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Xi'an

For one person, living is cheaper in Xi’an: $755 a month against $1,190 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Xi'an
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Xi'an Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,190

/mo nomad

Xi'an

🇨🇳 China

$755

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $755 in Xi’an, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,190
Xi'an $755

A couple spends around $1,889 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,173 in Xi’an, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,889
Xi'an $1,173

A family of three spends $2,588 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,592 in Xi’an, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,588
Xi'an $1,592

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 58% more than Xi’an, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 ¥30.23

$2.92 ¥19.47

55.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.58 ¥197

$18.34 ¥122

61.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 ¥34.77

$4.55 ¥30.32

14.73%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.87

$2.10 ¥13.96

77.62%

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

$0.53 ¥3.53

$0.42 ¥2.78

26.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.27 ¥1.80

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.79

$1.47 ¥9.76

-20.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.30

$1.49 ¥9.90

14.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ¥11.28

$1.46 ¥9.72

15.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.29

$1.73 ¥11.53

-1.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.67

$0.87 ¥5.77

49.43%

Eggs

$1.99 ¥13.25

$1.47 ¥9.76

35.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.82 ¥98.7

$11.43 ¥76.1

29.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ¥21.90

$4.46 ¥29.74

-26.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 ¥72.8

$10.65 ¥70.9

2.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.94

$1.63 ¥10.83

28.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 ¥11.40

$1.16 ¥7.71

47.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.65

$1.14 ¥7.58

79.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ¥10.38

$1.31 ¥8.75

19.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.92

$0.64 ¥4.27

15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.57

$0.79 ¥5.28

6.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ¥4.91

$0.70 ¥4.65

5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.55 ¥3.65

3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ¥28.33

$3.46 ¥23.07

22.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.22 ¥94.7

$11.13 ¥74.1

27.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥6.50

$0.81 ¥5.38

20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ¥12.55

$1.74 ¥11.61

8.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.31 ¥2.08

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.59 ¥197

$24.59 ¥164

20.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ¥12.89

$1.25 ¥8.35

55.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$0.29 ¥1.90

13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.08 ¥47.17

$3.55 ¥23.65

99.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.12

$1.37 ¥9.11

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

$19.8K ¥132.0K

$19.2K ¥127.9K

3.21%

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

$17.9K ¥119.2K

$17.5K ¥116.6K

2.26%

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

$59.7 ¥398

$88.4 ¥589

-32.49%

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

$8.90 ¥59.3

$6.47 ¥43.12

37.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.41 ¥96.0

$10.74 ¥71.5

34.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 ¥312

$29.85 ¥199

56.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.86 ¥166

$21.42 ¥143

16.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ¥49.98

$5.70 ¥38.00

31.58%

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

$968 ¥6,447

$908 ¥6,045

6.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.5K ¥296.7K

$22.3K ¥148.8K

99.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 ¥481

$39.32 ¥262

83.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.00 ¥266

$37.62 ¥251

6.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 ¥595

$76.2 ¥508

17.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ¥830

$109 ¥725

14.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 ¥6,277

$290 ¥1,932

224.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 ¥3,496

$188 ¥1,250

179.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,250 ¥15.0K

$715 ¥4,760

214.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 ¥7,069

$361 ¥2,404

194.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K ¥80.9K

$2,285 ¥15.2K

431.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,534 ¥43.5K

$1,598 ¥10.6K

308.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,688 ¥11.2K

$1,262 ¥8,402

33.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.35

-6.87%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): November 2, 2026

Last update for Xi'an: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$525 44.1%

Xi'an

$188 24.9% 64.2% $337

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$228 19.2%

Xi'an

$199 26.3% 13% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.3%

Xi'an

$118 15.6% 19.7% $29

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.2%

Xi'an

$75 10% 31.2% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$83 7%

Xi'an

$106 14% 27.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Xi'an

$41 5.5% 33.3% $21

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$35 3%

Xi'an

$29 3.8% 19.6% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $942 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $290 in Xi’an. 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 34% 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 $18 in Xi’an. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $199 – making Xi’an the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Xi'an

🕒 Local time

15:09 3:09 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

12,183,280

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Beijing (Pekin) Xi'an 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Beijing (Pekin)
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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 Xi'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,784 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,132 in Xi’an. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Xi’an, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $942 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $18 in Xi’an. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,190 in Beijing (Pekin) and $755 in Xi’an. That makes Xi’an about 37% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Xi’an – 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 Xi’an. 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.