Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Zibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Zibo: $723 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Zibo
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Zibo Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Zibo

🇨🇳 China

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $723 in Zibo, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,197
Zibo $723

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,150 in Zibo, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,913
Zibo $1,150

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,578 in Zibo, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,630
Zibo $1,578

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

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Zibo are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Zibo 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 ¥29.39

$4.26 ¥28.34

3.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥197

$24.28 ¥162

22.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.76

$6.15 ¥40.90

-12.68%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ¥24.81

$4.04 ¥26.87

-7.67%

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

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.47 ¥3.12

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.26 ¥1.72

11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$0.94 ¥6.27

26.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$1.69 ¥11.27

2.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.43

$1.43 ¥9.52

20.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$0.72 ¥4.79

145.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$0.93 ¥6.19

38.71%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.74

$1.25 ¥8.35

52.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

$14.73 ¥98.0

-0.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

$2.16 ¥14.39

49.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$5.84 ¥38.88

92.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.15

$1.22 ¥8.10

74.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.89

$0.92 ¥6.09

94.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

$1.02 ¥6.82

100.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$0.87 ¥5.80

75.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

$0.47 ¥3.11

57.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$0.94 ¥6.23

-2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.43 ¥2.85

60.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.62 ¥4.14

-1.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ¥29.57

$5.21 ¥34.69

-14.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 ¥93.2

$13.61 ¥90.6

2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.84

$0.72 ¥4.81

43.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.47 ¥9.80

22.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.29 ¥1.91

103.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

$18.21 ¥121

78.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.23 ¥8.17

62.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.38 ¥2.56

-13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$6.37 ¥42.41

20.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.10 ¥7.33

18.18%

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

$14.8K ¥98.5K

21.66%

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

$58.8 ¥392

$93.0 ¥619

-36.74%

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

$8.71 ¥58.0

$6.31 ¥42.00

38.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.51 ¥96.6

$5.82 ¥38.74

149.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ¥311

$39.13 ¥260

19.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.48 ¥163

$15.52 ¥103

57.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.6

$7.64 ¥50.9

-0.52%

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

$985 ¥6,556

$177 ¥1,175

458.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

$17.9K ¥119.2K

36.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ¥480

$30.19 ¥201

138.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

$22.10 ¥147

81.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 ¥577

$75.3 ¥501

15.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥839

$88.2 ¥587

42.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,209

$285 ¥1,897

227.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ¥3,524

$162 ¥1,080

226.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$635 ¥4,226

258.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ¥7,293

$359 ¥2,387

205.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$3,534 ¥23.5K

234.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

$2,158 ¥14.4K

204.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

$749 ¥4,985

127.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.54

-11.86%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 26, 2026

Last update for Zibo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2%

Zibo

$162 22.5% 69.3% $367

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2%

Zibo

$169 23.4% 26.4% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2%

Zibo

$97 13.4% 33.6% $49

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1%

Zibo

$112 15.5% 2.7% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Zibo

$105 14.6% 28.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2%

Zibo

$54 7.5% 12.1% $7.5

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2%

Zibo

$23 3.1% 41.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $285 in Zibo. 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 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $24 in Zibo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $169 – making Zibo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Zibo

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

4,708,400

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 66%, 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 $1,084 in Zibo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zibo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $285 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Beijing (Pekin) and $24 in Zibo. 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 $723 in Zibo. That’s a gap of about 66%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zibo, where all-in costs run around $723, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Zibo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zibo – 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 Zibo. 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.