Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Zhongshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $695 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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 Zhongshan
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Zhongshan Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$695

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $695 in Zhongshan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Zhongshan $695

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,110 in Zhongshan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Zhongshan $1,110

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,525 in Zhongshan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Zhongshan $1,525

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 71% more than Zhongshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Zhongshan are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Zhongshan 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.31

$3.01 ¥20.14

50.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥202

$24.23 ¥162

24.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$4.45 ¥29.76

20.45%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.84

$2.83 ¥18.91

26.15%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.47 ¥3.11

8.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.29 ¥1.91

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$0.77 ¥5.13

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.80 ¥12.05

-5.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$1.53 ¥10.26

13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$1.64 ¥10.99

7.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$0.68 ¥4.56

89.71%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.24 ¥8.29

57.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.5

$20.87 ¥140

-31.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$2.80 ¥18.72

18.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$13.54 ¥90.5

-17.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$2.14 ¥14.34

-0.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.08 ¥7.20

60.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.98

$0.68 ¥4.56

207.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$1.46 ¥9.76

5.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.58 ¥3.89

18.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$0.72 ¥4.84

26.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$0.43 ¥2.86

74.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.53 ¥3.56

15.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.52

$2.93 ¥19.58

45.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥93.0

$11.80 ¥78.9

17.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$0.69 ¥4.62

47.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.81 ¥12.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$0.29 ¥1.91

137.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥233

$15.11 ¥101

130.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.45 ¥9.68

31.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.41 ¥2.75

-14.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.68

$7.01 ¥46.88

3.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.30 ¥8.70

2.31%

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

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$19.6K ¥131.2K

0.02%

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

$18.0K ¥120.6K

$18.2K ¥121.6K

-0.85%

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

$59.1 ¥395

$40.99 ¥274

44.08%

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

$8.77 ¥58.7

$10.15 ¥67.9

-13.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$12.59 ¥84.2

12.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

$67.0 ¥448

-38.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$7.62 ¥50.9

226.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.74

$5.81 ¥38.88

28.06%

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

$654 ¥4,375

$317 ¥2,117

106.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.5K

$13.4K ¥89.4K

79.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥476

$48.42 ¥324

47.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥268

$39.64 ¥265

0.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥590

$59.9 ¥401

47.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥846

$75.5 ¥505

67.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

$210 ¥1,407

349.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

$125 ¥834

319.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$376 ¥2,517

527.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

$217 ¥1,453

416.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥82.0K

$2,531 ¥16.9K

384.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.1K

$1,509 ¥10.1K

327.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$956 ¥6,391

79.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.35

-6.87%

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

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

Last update for Zhongshan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Zhongshan

$125 17.9% 76.2% $399

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Zhongshan

$226 32.5% 1.2% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Zhongshan

$101 14.5% 31.4% $46

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Zhongshan

$82 11.8% 24% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Zhongshan

$64 9.2% 22.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Zhongshan

$79 11.3% 40.6% $23

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Zhongshan

$20 2.8% 52.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $210 in Zhongshan. 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 79% 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 $24.00 in Zhongshan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $226 – making Zhongshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

3,209,600

💱 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) Zhongshan 1,950 km ≈ 3 h 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 Zhongshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 71%, 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 $1,043 in Zhongshan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhongshan, 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 $24.00 in Zhongshan. 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 $695 in Zhongshan. That's a gap of about 71%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zhongshan, where all-in costs run around $695, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Zhongshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhongshan – 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 Zhongshan. 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.