Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Yichang

For one person, living is cheaper in Yichang: $714 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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 Yichang
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Yichang Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Yichang

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $714 in Yichang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
Yichang $714

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,132 in Yichang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
Yichang $1,132

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,551 in Yichang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
Yichang $1,551

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 66% more than Yichang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Yichang are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Yichang 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ¥29.86

$2.74 ¥18.33

63.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥198

$21.74 ¥145

36.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ¥34.80

$4.88 ¥32.63

6.76%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥24.86

$2.96 ¥19.77

25.68%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.47 ¥3.11

6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.27 ¥1.79

-3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$0.88 ¥5.91

32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$2.11 ¥14.12

-21.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$1.86 ¥12.41

-11.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.60 ¥10.73

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$0.95 ¥6.34

33.68%

Eggs

$1.88 ¥12.55

$1.53 ¥10.24

22.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$12.98 ¥86.8

12.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.03

$3.26 ¥21.81

-3.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ¥73.8

$10.11 ¥67.6

9.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$1.79 ¥11.94

12.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.21 ¥8.09

42.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.53 ¥10.25

35.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$1.15 ¥7.66

34.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.75 ¥5.00

-4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$0.94 ¥6.31

-9.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.55 ¥3.70

25.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.55 ¥3.70

10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ¥28.88

$3.16 ¥21.10

36.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$10.71 ¥71.6

31.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$0.76 ¥5.05

32.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$1.59 ¥10.63

14.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.27 ¥1.79

159.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.48 ¥231

$16.48 ¥110

109.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ¥12.84

$1.36 ¥9.09

41.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.35 ¥2.35

-5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$6.55 ¥43.81

17.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.12 ¥7.50

19.64%

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

$19.3K ¥128.9K

$19.3K ¥128.8K

0.09%

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

$18.3K ¥122.3K

$17.3K ¥115.4K

6.04%

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

$57.3 ¥383

$45.21 ¥302

26.79%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$9.71 ¥64.9

-5.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$11.62 ¥77.7

22.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

$42.47 ¥284

-0.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥165

$13.74 ¥91.9

79.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 ¥49.48

$5.95 ¥39.81

24.37%

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

$660 ¥4,410

$329 ¥2,202

100.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.9K

$16.7K ¥111.8K

44.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ¥467

$43.70 ¥292

59.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ¥265

$30.05 ¥201

32.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ¥594

$71.1 ¥476

24.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥849

$70.8 ¥473

79.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 ¥6,286

$273 ¥1,825

244.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$192 ¥1,287

172.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 ¥15.5K

$599 ¥4,006

287.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 ¥7,542

$361 ¥2,413

212.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥82.8K

$2,972 ¥19.9K

316.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ¥42.0K

$2,068 ¥13.8K

203.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ¥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 11, 2026

Last update for Yichang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2%

Yichang

$192 26.9% 63.3% $331

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2%

Yichang

$200 27.9% 12% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4%

Yichang

$97 13.6% 33.7% $49

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Yichang

$84 11.7% 22.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8%

Yichang

$67 9.3% 17.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8%

Yichang

$54 7.6% 4.8% $2.8

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Yichang

$21 2.9% 49.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $273 in Yichang. 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 $22.00 in Yichang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $200 – making Yichang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Yichang

🕒 Local time

07:22 7:22 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

4,059,686

💱 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) Yichang 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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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 Yichang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,071 in Yichang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yichang, 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 $22.00 in Yichang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin) and $714 in Yichang. That's a gap of about 66%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Yichang, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Yichang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yichang – 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 Yichang. 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.