Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Zhenjiang

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhenjiang: $702 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Zhenjiang
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Zhenjiang Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Zhenjiang

🇨🇳 China

$702

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $702 in Zhenjiang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Zhenjiang $702

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,190 in Zhenjiang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Zhenjiang $1,190

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,677 in Zhenjiang, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Zhenjiang $1,677

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 69% more than Zhenjiang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Zhenjiang are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Zhenjiang 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.31

$3.05 ¥20.36

48.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥202

$30.20 ¥202

-0.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$4.53 ¥30.29

18.32%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.84

$2.64 ¥17.63

35.23%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.63 ¥4.18

-19.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.38 ¥2.57

-26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$1.22 ¥8.13

-2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.43

$2.21 ¥14.81

-22.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$1.86 ¥12.44

-6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$1.47 ¥9.80

20.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.88 ¥5.89

46.59%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.68 ¥11.23

16.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.5

$14.06 ¥94.0

1.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$3.02 ¥20.21

9.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$13.02 ¥87.0

-14.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$1.81 ¥12.07

17.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.66 ¥11.10

4.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.98

$1.83 ¥12.21

14.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$1.66 ¥11.08

-7.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.75 ¥5.04

-8.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$1.00 ¥6.69

-9.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$0.43 ¥2.90

74.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.62 ¥4.13

-1.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.52

$3.78 ¥25.24

12.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥93.0

$11.00 ¥73.6

26.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$0.83 ¥5.56

22.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.63 ¥10.87

11.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$0.16 ¥1.08

331.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥233

$7.64 ¥51.1

355.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.51 ¥10.12

25.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.43 ¥2.89

-18.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.68

$4.41 ¥29.50

65.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.22 ¥8.17

9.02%

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

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$18.0K ¥120.4K

9.04%

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

$18.0K ¥120.6K

$18.3K ¥122.2K

-1.28%

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

$59.1 ¥395

$58.4 ¥390

1.13%

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

$8.77 ¥58.7

$7.82 ¥52.3

12.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$7.53 ¥50.3

88.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

$45.05 ¥301

-8.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$29.54 ¥198

-15.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.74

$9.02 ¥60.3

-17.52%

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

$654 ¥4,375

$454 ¥3,039

43.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.5K

$27.8K ¥185.6K

-13.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥476

$44.72 ¥299

59.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥268

$29.79 ¥199

34.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥590

$68.5 ¥458

28.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥846

$80.8 ¥541

56.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

$223 ¥1,492

323.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

$151 ¥1,012

245.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$531 ¥3,549

345.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

$370 ¥2,474

203.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥82.0K

$2,017 ¥13.5K

507.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.1K

$906 ¥6,061

611.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$947 ¥6,329

81.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.36

-7.14%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 17, 2026

Last update for Zhenjiang: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Zhenjiang

$151 21.6% 71.1% $372

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Zhenjiang

$217 31% 4.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Zhenjiang

$101 14.3% 31.3% $46

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Zhenjiang

$84 12% 21.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Zhenjiang

$74 10.5% 10.1% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Zhenjiang

$63 9% 12.8% $7.2

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Zhenjiang

$12 1.7% 71% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $223 in Zhenjiang. 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 81% 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 $30.00 in Zhenjiang. Groceries tell a different story – $229 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $217 in Zhenjiang – so Zhenjiang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Zhenjiang

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

3,210,418

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Beijing (Pekin) vs Zhenjiang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 69%, 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 $1,053 in Zhenjiang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhenjiang, 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 $30.00 in Zhenjiang. 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 $702 in Zhenjiang. That's a gap of about 69%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhenjiang, where all-in costs run around $702, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Zhenjiang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhenjiang – 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 Zhenjiang. 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.