Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Xiangtan

For one person, living is cheaper in Xiangtan: $712 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Xiangtan
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Xiangtan Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Xiangtan

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $712 in Xiangtan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Xiangtan $712

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,129 in Xiangtan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Xiangtan $1,129

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,545 in Xiangtan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Xiangtan $1,545

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 67% more than Xiangtan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Xiangtan are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Xiangtan 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.31

$2.86 ¥19.12

58.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥202

$21.25 ¥142

41.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$4.88 ¥32.65

9.84%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.84

$3.06 ¥20.45

16.67%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.47 ¥3.15

8.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.29 ¥1.95

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$0.89 ¥5.95

33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.43

$2.11 ¥14.11

-18.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$1.79 ¥11.97

-2.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$1.60 ¥10.69

10.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.96 ¥6.41

34.38%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.58 ¥10.58

23.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.5

$12.70 ¥84.9

12.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$3.23 ¥21.59

2.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$10.16 ¥67.9

9.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$1.88 ¥12.55

12.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.24 ¥8.30

39.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.98

$1.47 ¥9.81

42.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$1.09 ¥7.31

41.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.75 ¥4.99

-8.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$0.96 ¥6.44

-5.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$0.56 ¥3.77

33.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.51 ¥3.42

19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.52

$3.11 ¥20.81

37.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥93.0

$10.70 ¥71.6

29.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$0.81 ¥5.39

25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.61 ¥10.75

12.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$0.29 ¥1.96

137.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥233

$16.50 ¥110

111.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.37 ¥9.13

38.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.33 ¥2.18

6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.68

$6.88 ¥45.99

5.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.12 ¥7.46

18.75%

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

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$19.6K ¥130.8K

0.40%

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

$18.0K ¥120.6K

$17.5K ¥116.9K

3.16%

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

$59.1 ¥395

$44.90 ¥300

31.54%

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

$8.77 ¥58.7

$9.67 ¥64.6

-9.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$11.88 ¥79.4

19.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

$42.26 ¥283

-2.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$13.80 ¥92.3

80.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.74

$5.96 ¥39.84

24.83%

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

$654 ¥4,375

$334 ¥2,236

95.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.5K

$16.5K ¥110.5K

45.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥476

$43.59 ¥291

63.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥268

$30.74 ¥206

30.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥590

$70.5 ¥472

25.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥846

$71.5 ¥478

76.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

$277 ¥1,853

240.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

$189 ¥1,264

176.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$592 ¥3,960

298.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

$356 ¥2,380

215.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥82.0K

$3,063 ¥20.5K

300.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.1K

$1,990 ¥13.3K

223.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.89

-19.79%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 17, 2026

Last update for Xiangtan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Xiangtan

$189 26.6% 63.9% $334

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Xiangtan

$198 27.9% 13.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Xiangtan

$97 13.7% 33.6% $49

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Xiangtan

$86 12.1% 20.2% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Xiangtan

$66 9.3% 19% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Xiangtan

$54 7.6% 3.2% $1.8

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Xiangtan

$21 2.9% 49.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $277 in Xiangtan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $21.00 in Xiangtan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $198 – making Xiangtan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Xiangtan

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

2,748,552

💱 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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Beijing (Pekin) Xiangtan 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 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 Xiangtan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,068 in Xiangtan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Xiangtan, 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 $21.00 in Xiangtan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin) and $712 in Xiangtan. That's a gap of about 67%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Xiangtan, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Xiangtan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Xiangtan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Xiangtan. 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.