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Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Xiamen Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Xiamen

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Beijing (Pekin) is 12.2% more expensive than Xiamen without rent, and 39.6% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Beijing (Pekin) is 13% more expensive than Xiamen without rent, and 44.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Beijing (Pekin)
Xiamen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.23 ยฅ29.55
$2.82 ยฅ19.69
50.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.60 ยฅ193
$23.22 ยฅ162
18.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.37 ยฅ37.49
$5.73 ยฅ39.99
-6.28%
Cappuccino
$3.16 ยฅ22.08
$2.75 ยฅ19.22
14.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 ยฅ3.22
$0.51 ยฅ3.57
-9.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 ยฅ1.95
$0.31 ยฅ2.20
-9.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.08 ยฅ7.53
$1.42 ยฅ9.93
-23.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 ยฅ14.39
$3.54 ยฅ24.73
-41.81%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Beijing (Pekin)
Xiamen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.71 ยฅ11.97
$1.88 ยฅ13.15
-9.04%
White Bread (500g)
$1.65 ยฅ11.50
$2.16 ยฅ15.07
-23.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.08 ยฅ7.53
$0.77 ยฅ5.40
40.26%
Eggs
$1.71 ยฅ11.94
$1.38 ยฅ9.63
23.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.00 ยฅ112
$11.21 ยฅ78.2
42.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.32 ยฅ23.15
$2.31 ยฅ16.09
43.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.63 ยฅ67.2
$11.32 ยฅ79.0
-14.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 ยฅ15.13
$2.44 ยฅ17.02
-11.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 ยฅ11.40
$1.34 ยฅ9.35
21.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.73 ยฅ12.08
$1.51 ยฅ10.52
14.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.32 ยฅ9.24
$1.83 ยฅ12.77
-27.87%
Potato (1kg)
$0.80 ยฅ5.57
$0.98 ยฅ6.81
-18.37%
Onion (1kg)
$0.95 ยฅ6.63
$1.69 ยฅ11.83
-43.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.67 ยฅ4.68
$0.81 ยฅ5.63
-17.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ยฅ3.90
$0.51 ยฅ3.54
9.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.38 ยฅ23.62
$2.76 ยฅ19.29
22.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.91 ยฅ69.2
$10.96 ยฅ76.5
-9.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 ยฅ6.05
$0.73 ยฅ5.12
19.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 ยฅ12.81
$1.60 ยฅ11.15
14.37%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Beijing (Pekin)
Xiamen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.58 ยฅ4.08
$0.20 ยฅ1.39
190.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.01 ยฅ216
$11.34 ยฅ79.2
173.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.78 ยฅ12.39
$1.42 ยฅ9.92
25.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 ยฅ2.47
$0.26 ยฅ1.81
34.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.34 ยฅ72.1
$6.80 ยฅ47.46
52.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.12 ยฅ7.82
$1.19 ยฅ8.31
-5.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.5K ยฅ129.3K
$16.2K ยฅ113.3K
14.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.4K ยฅ107.2K
$17.8K ยฅ124.3K
-13.72%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beijing (Pekin)
Xiamen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$52.6 ยฅ367
$39.01 ยฅ272
34.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.07 ยฅ63.3
$9.70 ยฅ67.7
-6.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.73 ยฅ88.8
$9.41 ยฅ65.7
35.28%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Beijing (Pekin)
Xiamen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.84 ยฅ348
$44.81 ยฅ313
11.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.00 ยฅ126
$9.60 ยฅ67.0
87.50%
Cinema Ticket
$8.49 ยฅ59.3
$9.21 ยฅ64.3
-7.82%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Beijing (Pekin)
Xiamen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$659 ยฅ4,602
$454 ยฅ3,169
45.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.2K ยฅ168.9K
$22.2K ยฅ154.7K
9.21%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Beijing (Pekin)
Xiamen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.3 ยฅ442
$42.63 ยฅ298
48.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.05 ยฅ245
$27.11 ยฅ189
29.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.8 ยฅ536
$86.2 ยฅ602
-10.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 ยฅ703
$78.8 ยฅ550
27.75%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Beijing (Pekin)
Xiamen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$897 ยฅ6,261
$330 ยฅ2,306
171.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$464 ยฅ3,237
$249 ยฅ1,739
86.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,935 ยฅ13.5K
$868 ยฅ6,058
122.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,096 ยฅ7,652
$504 ยฅ3,517
117.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.0K ยฅ90.5K
$8,908 ยฅ62.2K
45.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,236 ยฅ43.5K
$5,088 ยฅ35.5K
22.58%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Beijing (Pekin)
Xiamen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,499 ยฅ10.5K
$1,019 ยฅ7,113
47.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.64
3.56
2.25%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): January 10, 2026

Last update for Xiamen: January 13, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
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