Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Zaozhuang

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaozhuang: $667 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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 Zaozhuang
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Zaozhuang Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Zaozhuang

🇨🇳 China

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $667 in Zaozhuang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Zaozhuang $667

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,022 in Zaozhuang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Zaozhuang $1,022

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,378 in Zaozhuang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Zaozhuang $1,378

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 80% more than Zaozhuang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Zaozhuang are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Zaozhuang 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$1.82 ¥12.14

142.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$11.81 ¥78.6

151.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$2.26 ¥15.04

137.61%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$1.47 ¥9.80

153.74%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.39 ¥2.58

43.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.15 ¥0.97

93.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$0.91 ¥6.07

30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$1.77 ¥11.81

-2.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.43

$1.45 ¥9.63

18.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$1.42 ¥9.44

24.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$1.23 ¥8.15

4.88%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.06 ¥7.07

80.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$11.74 ¥78.2

25.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$3.29 ¥21.90

-2.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$11.16 ¥74.3

0.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$1.47 ¥9.76

44.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.89

$1.03 ¥6.83

73.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.36 ¥9.07

50.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.09 ¥7.24

40.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.59 ¥3.92

25.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.70 ¥4.65

31.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.57 ¥3.80

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.62 ¥4.09

-1.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$3.65 ¥24.27

21.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$9.84 ¥65.5

42.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.71 ¥4.72

45.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.36 ¥9.05

32.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.28 ¥1.83

110.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$15.73 ¥105

106.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.61 ¥10.72

24.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.25 ¥1.65

32.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$4.48 ¥29.81

71.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.30 ¥8.67

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

$19.7K ¥131.4K

$19.7K ¥131.0K

0.29%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$15.3K ¥101.7K

17.85%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$74.1 ¥493

-20.58%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$6.84 ¥45.51

27.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$5.08 ¥33.83

185.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$43.72 ¥291

6.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$15.67 ¥104

56.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$5.33 ¥35.47

42.59%

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

$985 ¥6,556

$215 ¥1,430

358.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

$19.7K ¥130.9K

24.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$33.72 ¥224

113.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$42.01 ¥280

-4.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$72.4 ¥482

19.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$71.2 ¥474

76.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$321 ¥2,135

190.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,524

$172 ¥1,146

207.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$630 ¥4,192

261.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,293

$318 ¥2,113

245.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$2,866 ¥19.1K

312.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,665 ¥11.1K

294.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.13

-0.32%

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

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

Last update for Zaozhuang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Zaozhuang

$172 25.9% 67.5% $357

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Zaozhuang

$186 27.9% 19% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Zaozhuang

$99 14.8% 32.5% $48

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Zaozhuang

$49 7.4% 54.8% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Zaozhuang

$86 12.9% 4.8% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Zaozhuang

$54 8.2% 12.2% $7.5

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Zaozhuang

$20 3% 48.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $321 in Zaozhuang. 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 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $12 in Zaozhuang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $186 – making Zaozhuang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Zaozhuang

🕒 Local time

06:09 6:09 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

2,125,000

💱 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) Zaozhuang 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min 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 Zaozhuang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 80%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,796 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,000 in Zaozhuang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zaozhuang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $321 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $12 in Zaozhuang. 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 $667 in Zaozhuang. That makes Zaozhuang about 44% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Zaozhuang, where all-in costs run around $667, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Zaozhuang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Zaozhuang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 44% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.