Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Zhangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangzhou: $716 a month against $1,185 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 Zhangzhou
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Zhangzhou Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Zhangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $716 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Zhangzhou $716

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,132 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Zhangzhou $1,132

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,547 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Zhangzhou $1,547

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.31

$2.74 ¥18.35

65.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥202

$21.73 ¥145

38.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$4.80 ¥32.11

11.67%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.84

$3.05 ¥20.39

17.05%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.47 ¥3.16

8.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.27 ¥1.78

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$0.90 ¥6.01

32.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.43

$2.06 ¥13.75

-16.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$1.81 ¥12.13

-3.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$1.59 ¥10.65

11.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.90 ¥6.03

43.33%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.55 ¥10.35

25.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.5

$12.58 ¥84.1

13.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$3.15 ¥21.08

5.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$10.14 ¥67.8

9.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$1.86 ¥12.45

13.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.25 ¥8.36

38.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.98

$1.48 ¥9.91

41.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$1.10 ¥7.38

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.73 ¥4.88

-5.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$0.91 ¥6.11

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$0.55 ¥3.70

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.56 ¥3.72

8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.52

$3.06 ¥20.49

39.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥93.0

$10.62 ¥71.0

30.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$0.73 ¥4.89

39.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.58 ¥10.55

14.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$0.29 ¥1.95

137.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥233

$16.89 ¥113

106.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.41 ¥9.43

34.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.32 ¥2.17

9.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.68

$6.55 ¥43.79

11.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.12 ¥7.48

18.75%

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

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$19.1K ¥127.9K

2.66%

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

$18.0K ¥120.6K

$17.2K ¥115.3K

4.61%

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

$59.1 ¥395

$45.55 ¥305

29.66%

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

$8.77 ¥58.7

$9.74 ¥65.1

-9.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$11.81 ¥79.0

20.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

$41.19 ¥275

-0.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$13.66 ¥91.4

82.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.74

$5.94 ¥39.75

25.25%

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

$654 ¥4,375

$337 ¥2,251

94.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.5K

$16.7K ¥111.4K

44.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥476

$43.23 ¥289

64.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥268

$30.11 ¥201

32.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥590

$71.1 ¥476

24.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥846

$72.8 ¥487

73.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

$282 ¥1,886

235.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

$196 ¥1,308

167.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$584 ¥3,902

304.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

$361 ¥2,411

211.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥82.0K

$2,977 ¥19.9K

311.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.1K

$2,003 ¥13.4K

221.80%

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 Zhangzhou: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Zhangzhou

$196 27.3% 62.6% $328

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Zhangzhou

$197 27.5% 13.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Zhangzhou

$98 13.7% 33.3% $49

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Zhangzhou

$85 11.8% 21.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Zhangzhou

$67 9.4% 18.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Zhangzhou

$53 7.4% 5.1% $2.9

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Zhangzhou

$21 2.9% 48.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $282 in Zhangzhou. 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 Zhangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $197 – making Zhangzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Zhangzhou

🕒 Local time

09:32 9:32 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

4,809,983

💱 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) Zhangzhou 1,720 km ≈ 2 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 Zhangzhou: 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 $1,778 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,074 in Zhangzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhangzhou, 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 Zhangzhou. 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 $716 in Zhangzhou. That's a gap of about 66%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhangzhou, where all-in costs run around $716, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Zhangzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhangzhou – 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 Zhangzhou. 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.