Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Zhuhai

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhuhai: $784 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Zhuhai
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Zhuhai Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Zhuhai

🇨🇳 China

$784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $784 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Zhuhai $784

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,305 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Zhuhai $1,305

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,825 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Zhuhai $1,825

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 53% more than Zhuhai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Zhuhai are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Zhuhai 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.33

$2.64 ¥17.56

67.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$30.28 ¥201

-2.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.69

$5.22 ¥34.65

2.87%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.76

$3.15 ¥20.91

18.41%

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

$0.56 ¥3.70

$0.50 ¥3.33

12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.33 ¥2.16

-12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.90

$1.17 ¥7.79

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.52

$2.25 ¥14.95

-23.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.40

$1.60 ¥10.61

7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.77

$1.30 ¥8.65

36.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.60

$1.13 ¥7.51

14.16%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.72

$1.69 ¥11.20

13.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.6

$4.33 ¥28.74

239.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.42

$2.21 ¥14.67

45.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.6

$3.79 ¥25.16

196.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.12

$1.26 ¥8.35

69.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.86

$0.62 ¥4.09

188.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.60

$0.44 ¥2.91

365.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.17

$1.49 ¥9.88

2.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.88

$0.73 ¥4.86

1.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$0.47 ¥3.11

95.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.59

$0.29 ¥1.89

137.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.03

$0.43 ¥2.89

41.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.52

$3.08 ¥20.45

44.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.0

$3.71 ¥24.61

277.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.83

$0.59 ¥3.91

74.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥11.99

$1.73 ¥11.50

4.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.13 ¥0.88

353.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$8.75 ¥58.1

271.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.30

$1.46 ¥9.68

36.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$0.38 ¥2.50

-13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.0

$7.32 ¥48.59

4.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.62

$1.28 ¥8.52

1.56%

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

$19.7K ¥131.1K

$15.6K ¥103.8K

26.32%

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

$18.0K ¥119.6K

$13.6K ¥90.0K

32.85%

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

$58.8 ¥391

$57.5 ¥382

2.42%

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

$8.71 ¥57.9

$10.13 ¥67.3

-14.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.4

$16.37 ¥109

-11.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥310

$80.9 ¥537

-42.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$30.87 ¥205

-20.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.5

$7.52 ¥49.96

1.06%

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

$985 ¥6,543

$540 ¥3,586

82.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥162.8K

$24.5K ¥163.0K

-0.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥479

$29.85 ¥198

141.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥267

$39.51 ¥262

1.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥576

$72.3 ¥480

19.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥837

$92.0 ¥611

37.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,197

$425 ¥2,822

119.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,517

$280 ¥1,861

88.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.1K

$907 ¥6,025

151.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,278

$651 ¥4,325

68.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.4K

$4,496 ¥29.9K

162.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.6K

$2,836 ¥18.8K

131.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.3K

$1,084 ¥7,202

57.42%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Zhuhai: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Zhuhai

$280 35.7% 47.1% $249

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Zhuhai

$118 15.1% 48.6% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Zhuhai

$105 13.4% 28.1% $41

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Zhuhai

$88 11.3% 19% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Zhuhai

$84 10.7% 2.3% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Zhuhai

$96 12.2% 54.9% $34

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Zhuhai

$13 1.6% 67.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $425 in Zhuhai. 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 57% higher in Beijing (Pekin). Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $30 in Zhuhai. Groceries tell a different story – $230 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $118 in Zhuhai – so Zhuhai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Zhuhai

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

2,207,090

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Beijing (Pekin) Zhuhai 1,980 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 Zhuhai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,796 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,176 in Zhuhai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhuhai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

Public transport costs about 73% less in Zhuhai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 94% more in Beijing (Pekin), though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Zhuhai – 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 Zhuhai. 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.