Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changsha and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Changsha: $783 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.

38

Cost of Living Index in Changsha
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Changsha Living Index
57

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

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Changsha

🇨🇳 China

$783

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Changsha 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 Changsha and in Beijing (Pekin) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $783 per month in Changsha vs $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Changsha $783
Beijing (Pekin) $1,197

A couple spends around $1,282 per month in Changsha vs $1,913 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Changsha $1,282
Beijing (Pekin) $1,913

A family of three spends $1,780 per month in Changsha vs $2,630 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Changsha $1,780
Beijing (Pekin) $2,630

Changsha is about 35% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ¥19.72

$4.42 ¥29.44

-33.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.41 ¥149

$29.66 ¥198

-24.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥32.65

$5.37 ¥35.82

-8.75%

Cappuccino

$3.34 ¥22.27

$3.73 ¥24.85

-10.46%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.56 ¥3.71

-8.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.82

$0.29 ¥1.95

-6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 ¥8.26

$1.19 ¥7.93

4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥12.63

$1.73 ¥11.56

9.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 ¥13.11

$1.72 ¥11.44

14.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ¥15.80

$1.77 ¥11.82

33.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.29

$1.29 ¥8.63

-27.13%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.46

$1.91 ¥12.76

-9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.6

$14.70 ¥98.0

-11.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 ¥27.36

$3.22 ¥21.50

27.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.65 ¥77.6

$11.23 ¥74.8

3.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 ¥18.94

$2.13 ¥14.17

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ¥9.29

$1.79 ¥11.91

-22.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ¥12.85

$2.05 ¥13.64

-5.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.49

$1.53 ¥10.21

32.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.40

$0.74 ¥4.90

29.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.06

$0.92 ¥6.16

80.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.34

$0.69 ¥4.60

-5.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ¥3.28

$0.61 ¥4.05

-19.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ¥19.44

$4.44 ¥29.62

-34.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.72 ¥84.8

$14.00 ¥93.4

-9.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$1.03 ¥6.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ¥10.28

$1.80 ¥12.03

-14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.59 ¥3.90

-40.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.75 ¥98.4

$32.53 ¥217

-54.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ¥9.84

$2.00 ¥13.35

-26.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.33 ¥2.19

-6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 ¥30.37

$7.68 ¥51.2

-40.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.42

$1.30 ¥8.65

-3.08%

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

$19.9K ¥132.4K

$19.7K ¥131.6K

0.60%

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

$17.8K ¥118.8K

$18.0K ¥120.0K

-1.01%

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

$56.1 ¥374

$58.8 ¥392

-4.64%

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

$9.08 ¥60.5

$8.71 ¥58.1

4.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.61 ¥90.7

$14.51 ¥96.7

-6.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 ¥365

$46.71 ¥311

17.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.80 ¥165

$24.48 ¥163

1.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.54 ¥43.62

$7.60 ¥50.7

-13.95%

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

$326 ¥2,176

$985 ¥6,567

-66.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥114.5K

$24.5K ¥163.4K

-29.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.4 ¥563

$72.1 ¥480

17.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.62 ¥231

$40.22 ¥268

-13.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 ¥600

$86.8 ¥578

3.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.2 ¥408

$126 ¥840

-51.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ¥1,775

$933 ¥6,219

-71.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 ¥1,113

$530 ¥3,529

-68.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,727

$2,279 ¥15.2K

-75.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 ¥2,540

$1,096 ¥7,304

-65.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,482 ¥16.5K

$11.8K ¥78.7K

-78.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,414 ¥9,428

$6,566 ¥43.8K

-78.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 ¥7,360

$1,707 ¥11.4K

-35.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.12

10.90%

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

Last update for Changsha: October 24, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changsha

$237 30.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2% 3.2% $7.6

Accommodation & Living

Changsha

$167 21.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2% 217% $363

Clothing & Footwear

Changsha

$122 15.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2% 20.4% $25

Eating Out

Changsha

$92 11.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1% 19% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changsha

$79 10.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 4.1% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Changsha

$68 8.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2% 8.8% $6

Getting Around

Changsha

$19 2.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2% 100% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $266 in Changsha 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 run about 55% higher in Beijing (Pekin). Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Changsha versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Changsha vs $230 in Beijing (Pekin) – so Beijing (Pekin) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changsha

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

Same time as Changsha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,289,000

21,893,095 Capital

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Changsha Beijing (Pekin) 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Changsha
Beijing (Pekin)

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

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,175 per month in Changsha 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 Changsha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $266 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Changsha 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 $783 in Changsha and $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin). That’s a gap of about 53%.

Families tend to lean toward Changsha – 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 Changsha. 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.