Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Xianyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Xianyang: $617 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Xianyang
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Xianyang Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Xianyang

🇨🇳 China

$617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $617 in Xianyang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Xianyang $617

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $995 in Xianyang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Xianyang $995

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,373 in Xianyang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Xianyang $1,373

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 92% more than Xianyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Xianyang are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Xianyang 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.31

$2.25 ¥15.06

101.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥202

$17.21 ¥115

75.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$4.46 ¥29.81

20.18%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.84

$2.08 ¥13.93

71.63%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.39 ¥2.58

30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.27 ¥1.80

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$0.77 ¥5.17

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.45 ¥9.71

17.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$1.44 ¥9.61

20.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$1.07 ¥7.13

65.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.78 ¥5.22

65.38%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.41 ¥9.45

38.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.5

$9.57 ¥64.0

49.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$1.81 ¥12.13

82.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$7.38 ¥49.37

50.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$1.22 ¥8.18

73.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.03 ¥6.86

67.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.98

$1.25 ¥8.36

67.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$0.63 ¥4.19

144.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.43 ¥2.89

60.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$0.59 ¥3.92

54.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$0.63 ¥4.20

19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.59 ¥3.95

3.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.52

$3.07 ¥20.52

39.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥93.0

$7.32 ¥48.97

89.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$0.44 ¥2.92

131.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.76 ¥11.78

2.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$0.29 ¥1.92

137.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥233

$17.65 ¥118

97.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.29 ¥8.62

47.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.29 ¥1.91

20.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.68

$4.53 ¥30.31

60.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.20 ¥8.05

10.83%

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

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$19.5K ¥130.5K

0.62%

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

$18.0K ¥120.6K

$11.9K ¥79.6K

51.49%

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

$59.1 ¥395

$36.81 ¥246

60.45%

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

$8.77 ¥58.7

$6.37 ¥42.62

37.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$10.61 ¥70.9

34.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

$42.47 ¥284

-3.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$15.22 ¥102

63.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.74

$5.88 ¥39.33

26.53%

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

$654 ¥4,375

$333 ¥2,229

96.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.5K

$15.1K ¥101.1K

58.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥476

$38.65 ¥258

84.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥268

$37.53 ¥251

6.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥590

$75.6 ¥506

16.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥846

$60.1 ¥402

110.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

$297 ¥1,988

217.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

$180 ¥1,203

190.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$618 ¥4,130

282.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

$381 ¥2,547

194.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥82.0K

$3,456 ¥23.1K

254.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.1K

$753 ¥5,033

756.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$598 ¥3,999

186.79%

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): October 17, 2026

Last update for Xianyang: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Xianyang

$180 29.1% 65.6% $343

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Xianyang

$147 23.8% 35.9% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Xianyang

$95 15.5% 35% $51

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Xianyang

$66 10.7% 38.9% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Xianyang

$54 8.7% 34.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Xianyang

$54 8.8% 3.1% $1.7

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Xianyang

$22 3.5% 47.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $297 in Xianyang. 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 187% 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 $17.00 in Xianyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $147 – making Xianyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Xianyang

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

1,324,612

💱 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) Xianyang 920 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 Xianyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $926 in Xianyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Xianyang, 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 $17.00 in Xianyang. 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 $617 in Xianyang. That's a gap of about 92%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Xianyang, where all-in costs run around $617, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Xianyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Xianyang – 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 Xianyang. 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.