Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Zhoushan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhoushan: $623 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Zhoushan
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Zhoushan Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Zhoushan

🇨🇳 China

$623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $623 in Zhoushan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Zhoushan $623

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,008 in Zhoushan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Zhoushan $1,008

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,394 in Zhoushan, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Zhoushan $1,394

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 92% more than Zhoushan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Zhoushan are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Zhoushan 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$3.32 ¥22.12

33.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$18.60 ¥124

59.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$4.09 ¥27.25

31.30%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$2.96 ¥19.68

26.01%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.47 ¥3.10

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.27 ¥1.81

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$0.77 ¥5.13

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$1.93 ¥12.81

-10.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.43

$1.80 ¥12.01

-4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$2.19 ¥14.57

-19.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$0.87 ¥5.81

48.28%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.06 ¥7.02

80.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$13.59 ¥90.5

8.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$3.48 ¥23.17

-7.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$11.07 ¥73.7

1.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$1.53 ¥10.16

39.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.89

$1.23 ¥8.16

45.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.53 ¥10.17

33.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.22 ¥8.10

25.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.57 ¥3.82

29.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.88 ¥5.86

4.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.60 ¥3.98

15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.55 ¥3.69

10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.58

$5.36 ¥35.66

-17.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$12.10 ¥80.5

15.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.91 ¥6.08

13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$2.16 ¥14.37

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.90

$0.29 ¥1.92

103.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥217

$15.22 ¥101

113.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.48 ¥9.87

35.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.42 ¥2.83

-21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$9.04 ¥60.1

-15.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.17 ¥7.81

11.11%

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

$19.7K ¥131.4K

$19.8K ¥131.5K

-0.12%

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

$18.0K ¥119.8K

$16.0K ¥106.2K

12.82%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$36.52 ¥243

61.12%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$11.44 ¥76.1

-23.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$27.66 ¥184

-47.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$25.05 ¥167

86.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$7.59 ¥50.5

222.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$6.16 ¥41.01

23.38%

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

$985 ¥6,556

$447 ¥2,972

120.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

$16.5K ¥109.5K

49.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$34.73 ¥231

107.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$21.39 ¥142

88.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥578

$64.7 ¥430

34.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$45.75 ¥304

175.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$333 ¥2,214

180.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,524

$118 ¥786

348.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$762 ¥5,069

199.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,293

$271 ¥1,803

304.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$3,030 ¥20.2K

289.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$1,988 ¥13.2K

230.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$588 ¥3,915

190.20%

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 Zhoushan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Zhoushan

$118 19% 77.7% $411

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Zhoushan

$212 34% 7.8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Zhoushan

$75 12% 48.8% $71

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Zhoushan

$85 13.7% 22% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Zhoushan

$76 12.1% 7.8% $6.4

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Zhoushan

$37 6% 39.6% $25

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Zhoushan

$20 3.2% 48.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $333 in Zhoushan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Beijing (Pekin) are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $19 in Zhoushan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $212 – making Zhoushan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Zhoushan

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

1,157,817

💱 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) Zhoushan 1,220 km ≈ 2 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 Zhoushan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,796 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $934 in Zhoushan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhoushan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $333 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $19 in Zhoushan. 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 $623 in Zhoushan. That makes Zhoushan about 48% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Zhoushan – 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 Zhoushan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.