Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Yangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Yangzhou: $686 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Yangzhou
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Yangzhou Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Yangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$686

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $686 in Yangzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Yangzhou $686

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,102 in Yangzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Yangzhou $1,102

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,517 in Yangzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Yangzhou $1,517

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 74% more than Yangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Yangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Yangzhou 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$2.28 ¥15.19

93.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$11.15 ¥74.2

166.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$3.08 ¥20.48

74.35%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$2.50 ¥16.62

49.20%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.44 ¥2.92

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.21 ¥1.40

38.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$1.03 ¥6.86

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$2.01 ¥13.35

-13.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.42

$1.23 ¥8.16

39.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$2.03 ¥13.50

-12.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$0.81 ¥5.40

59.26%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.02 ¥6.76

87.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$14.12 ¥93.9

4.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$2.68 ¥17.83

20.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$6.74 ¥44.83

66.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$0.75 ¥4.98

184.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.88

$1.69 ¥11.26

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$0.44 ¥2.89

365.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.05 ¥6.96

45.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.72 ¥4.80

2.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.62 ¥4.15

48.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.78 ¥5.20

-11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.72 ¥4.76

-15.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$2.98 ¥19.84

48.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$12.03 ¥80.0

16.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.89 ¥5.89

15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.91 ¥12.71

-5.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.35 ¥2.35

68.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$19.84 ¥132

63.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.18 ¥7.86

69.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.26 ¥1.72

26.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$3.54 ¥23.54

116.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.16 ¥7.75

12.07%

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

$19.7K ¥131.3K

$19.7K ¥131.1K

0.17%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$16.8K ¥112.0K

6.97%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$49.69 ¥331

18.41%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$8.29 ¥55.2

5.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$12.09 ¥80.4

20.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$38.28 ¥255

22.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$16.92 ¥113

44.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$6.39 ¥42.52

18.94%

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

$985 ¥6,555

$242 ¥1,613

306.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.1K

$7,398 ¥49.2K

231.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$91.4 ¥608

-21.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$32.42 ¥216

24.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$65.0 ¥432

33.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$91.1 ¥606

38.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$254 ¥1,689

267.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,523

$162 ¥1,078

226.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$609 ¥4,051

274.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,292

$388 ¥2,582

182.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$2,595 ¥17.3K

354.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,777 ¥11.8K

269.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$1,260 ¥8,384

35.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.1

0.65%

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

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

Last update for Yangzhou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Yangzhou

$162 23.6% 69.4% $367

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Yangzhou

$184 26.8% 19.8% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Yangzhou

$126 18.4% 13.9% $20

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Yangzhou

$69 10.1% 36.5% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Yangzhou

$70 10.2% 14.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Yangzhou

$51 7.4% 17.5% $11

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Yangzhou

$24 3.5% 38.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $254 in Yangzhou. 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 35% 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 $11 in Yangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $184 – making Yangzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Yangzhou

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

4,559,797

💱 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) Yangzhou 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 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 Yangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,796 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,029 in Yangzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yangzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $11 in Yangzhou. 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 $686 in Yangzhou. That makes Yangzhou about 43% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Yangzhou, where all-in costs run around $686, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Yangzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yangzhou – 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 Yangzhou. 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.