Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $726 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.

35

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
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Chengdu Living Index
57

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

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Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$726

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $726 per month in Chengdu vs $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Chengdu $726
Beijing (Pekin) $1,197

A couple spends around $1,170 per month in Chengdu vs $1,913 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Chengdu $1,170
Beijing (Pekin) $1,913

A family of three spends $1,614 per month in Chengdu vs $2,630 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Chengdu $1,614
Beijing (Pekin) $2,630

Chengdu is about 39% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.43

$4.42 ¥29.38

-33.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.28 ¥148

$29.66 ¥197

-24.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 ¥32.28

$5.37 ¥35.75

-9.68%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ¥19.94

$3.73 ¥24.81

-19.57%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.56 ¥3.71

-8.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.29 ¥1.94

-10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ¥10.06

$1.19 ¥7.91

26.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.20

$1.73 ¥11.54

31.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.29

$1.72 ¥11.42

7.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$1.77 ¥11.79

-15.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.58

$1.29 ¥8.62

-23.26%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.70

$1.91 ¥12.74

-15.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.31 ¥95.2

$14.70 ¥97.8

-2.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ¥24.25

$3.22 ¥21.46

13.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 ¥73.3

$11.23 ¥74.7

-1.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.62

$2.13 ¥14.14

-10.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ¥9.23

$1.79 ¥11.88

-22.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.91

$2.05 ¥13.62

-49.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥7.97

$1.53 ¥10.19

-21.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.91

$0.74 ¥4.89

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.56

$0.92 ¥6.15

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.23

$0.69 ¥4.59

-7.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.83

$0.61 ¥4.04

-4.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.53

$4.44 ¥29.57

-16.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.37 ¥29.08

$14.00 ¥93.2

-68.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.58

$1.03 ¥6.84

-18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$1.80 ¥12.01

-17.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.59 ¥3.89

-50.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.23 ¥168

$32.53 ¥216

-22.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ¥8.83

$2.00 ¥13.32

-33.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.33 ¥2.19

-6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 ¥29.07

$7.68 ¥51.1

-43.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.48

$1.30 ¥8.64

-2.31%

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

$19.6K ¥130.7K

$19.7K ¥131.3K

-0.47%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$18.0K ¥119.8K

0.25%

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

$46.65 ¥310

$58.8 ¥391

-20.72%

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

$9.40 ¥62.6

$8.71 ¥58.0

7.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.87 ¥85.6

$14.51 ¥96.6

-11.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.11 ¥180

$46.71 ¥311

-41.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.21 ¥74.6

$24.48 ¥163

-54.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 ¥41.02

$7.60 ¥50.6

-18.82%

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

$1,161 ¥7,724

$985 ¥6,554

17.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K ¥101.5K

$24.5K ¥163.1K

-37.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.36 ¥169

$72.1 ¥479

-64.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.52 ¥183

$40.22 ¥268

-31.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.1 ¥380

$86.8 ¥577

-34.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.2 ¥354

$126 ¥839

-57.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 ¥2,829

$933 ¥6,208

-54.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 ¥1,540

$530 ¥3,523

-56.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 ¥5,026

$2,279 ¥15.2K

-66.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 ¥3,178

$1,096 ¥7,291

-56.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,476 ¥23.1K

$11.8K ¥78.6K

-70.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,845 ¥12.3K

$6,566 ¥43.7K

-71.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,278 ¥8,502

$1,707 ¥11.4K

-25.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.12

8.33%

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

Last update for Chengdu: 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

Chengdu

$231 31.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2% 129% $298

Groceries & Markets

Chengdu

$195 26.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2% 17.9% $35

Eating Out

Chengdu

$89 12.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1% 22.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Chengdu

$73 10.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2% 99.3% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chengdu

$69 9.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 19.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Chengdu

$39 5.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2% 57% $22

Getting Around

Chengdu

$29 4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2% 31.6% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Chengdu 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 34% higher in Beijing (Pekin), which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chengdu versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $230 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

20:43 8:43 PM

Same time as Chengdu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,937,757

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

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Chengdu Beijing (Pekin) 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chengdu
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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

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,090 per month in Chengdu 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 Chengdu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chengdu 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 $726 in Chengdu and $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin). That makes Chengdu about 39% cheaper.

If budget matters most, go with Chengdu. 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.