Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bortala and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Bortala: $758 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Bortala
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Bortala Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index

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Bortala

🇨🇳 China

$758

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bortala and in Beijing (Pekin) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $758 per month in Bortala vs $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Bortala $758
Beijing (Pekin) $1,197

A couple spends around $1,168 per month in Bortala vs $1,913 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Bortala $1,168
Beijing (Pekin) $1,913

A family of three spends $1,577 per month in Bortala vs $2,630 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Bortala $1,577
Beijing (Pekin) $2,630

Bortala is about 37% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bortala and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Bortala 44% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.99 ¥19.86

$4.42 ¥29.36

-32.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ¥152

$29.66 ¥197

-22.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 ¥32.30

$5.37 ¥35.72

-9.50%

Cappuccino

$2.79 ¥18.52

$3.73 ¥24.79

-25.20%

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

$0.48 ¥3.18

$0.56 ¥3.70

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ¥2.10

$0.29 ¥1.94

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 ¥7.38

$1.19 ¥7.91

-6.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ¥14.33

$1.73 ¥11.53

24.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ¥12.44

$1.72 ¥11.41

8.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.57

$1.77 ¥11.78

-10.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.29

$1.29 ¥8.61

-26.36%

Eggs

$1.60 ¥10.66

$1.91 ¥12.73

-16.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.42 ¥89.2

$14.70 ¥97.7

-8.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ¥22.35

$3.22 ¥21.44

4.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.29 ¥75.1

$11.23 ¥74.6

0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.53

$2.13 ¥14.13

-11.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.88

$1.79 ¥11.87

-25.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 ¥10.01

$2.05 ¥13.61

-26.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.35

$1.53 ¥10.18

-17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥4.99

$0.74 ¥4.89

1.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.49

$0.92 ¥6.14

6.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.69 ¥4.59

-14.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.89

$0.61 ¥4.04

-3.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ¥24.68

$4.44 ¥29.54

-16.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.52 ¥76.6

$14.00 ¥93.1

-17.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥5.88

$1.03 ¥6.84

-14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ¥10.30

$1.80 ¥12.00

-13.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.59 ¥3.89

-52.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.99 ¥106

$32.53 ¥216

-50.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ¥10.46

$2.00 ¥13.31

-21.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ¥2.15

$0.33 ¥2.19

-3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.15 ¥47.55

$7.68 ¥51.1

-6.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.80

$1.30 ¥8.63

-10.00%

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

$19.4K ¥129.0K

$19.7K ¥131.2K

-1.70%

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

$15.2K ¥100.8K

$18.0K ¥119.7K

-15.73%

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

$57.1 ¥380

$58.8 ¥391

-2.92%

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

$8.48 ¥56.4

$8.71 ¥57.9

-2.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.13 ¥74.0

$14.51 ¥96.5

-23.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.95 ¥279

$46.71 ¥310

-10.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.98 ¥99.6

$24.48 ¥163

-38.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.53 ¥43.39

$7.60 ¥50.5

-14.08%

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

$453 ¥3,013

$985 ¥6,549

-54.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K ¥128.4K

$24.5K ¥163.0K

-21.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.79 ¥284

$72.1 ¥479

-40.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.92 ¥206

$40.22 ¥267

-23.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ¥503

$86.8 ¥577

-12.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 ¥454

$126 ¥838

-45.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$291 ¥1,932

$933 ¥6,203

-68.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ¥1,420

$530 ¥3,520

-59.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ¥3,870

$2,279 ¥15.1K

-74.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 ¥2,280

$1,096 ¥7,285

-68.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,687 ¥24.5K

$11.8K ¥78.5K

-68.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,825 ¥12.1K

$6,566 ¥43.6K

-72.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 ¥4,156

$1,707 ¥11.3K

-63.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.12

7.69%

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

Last update for Bortala: October 26, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bortala

$214 28.2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2% 148% $316

Groceries & Markets

Bortala

$210 27.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2% 9.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Bortala

$98 12.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2% 49.4% $48

Eating Out

Bortala

$85 11.2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1% 28.3% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bortala

$77 10.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 6.9% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Bortala

$55 7.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2% 12.5% $6.9

Getting Around

Bortala

$20 2.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2% 89.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $291 in Bortala versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin). 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 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Bortala versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $230 – making Bortala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Bortala

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

Same time as Bortala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,706

21,893,095 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bortala Beijing (Pekin) 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Bortala
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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

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,137 per month in Bortala and $1,796 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bortala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $291 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Bortala and $30 in Beijing (Pekin). That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $758 in Bortala and $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin). That makes Bortala about 37% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Bortala – 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 Bortala. 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.