Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cixi and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Cixi: $709 a month against $1,185 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 Cixi
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Cixi Living Index
58

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

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Cixi

🇨🇳 China

$709

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $709 per month in Cixi vs $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Cixi $709
Beijing (Pekin) $1,185

A couple spends around $1,125 per month in Cixi vs $1,917 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Cixi $1,125
Beijing (Pekin) $1,917

A family of three spends $1,542 per month in Cixi vs $2,648 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Cixi $1,542
Beijing (Pekin) $2,648

Cixi is about 40% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cixi and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Cixi 48% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 ¥18.38

$4.53 ¥30.31

-39.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.47 ¥144

$30.16 ¥202

-28.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ¥31.99

$5.36 ¥35.83

-10.82%

Cappuccino

$2.98 ¥19.94

$3.57 ¥23.84

-16.53%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.51 ¥3.39

-15.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.28 ¥1.89

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ¥6.30

$1.19 ¥7.94

-21.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ¥14.19

$1.71 ¥11.43

23.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ¥12.50

$1.74 ¥11.66

7.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ¥10.48

$1.77 ¥11.82

-11.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.51

$1.29 ¥8.61

-24.81%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.30

$1.95 ¥13.01

-21.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 ¥84.3

$14.29 ¥95.5

-11.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥20.89

$3.31 ¥22.13

-5.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 ¥67.4

$11.11 ¥74.3

-9.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.10

$2.12 ¥14.18

-14.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.36

$1.73 ¥11.56

-27.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$2.09 ¥13.98

-26.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.29

$1.54 ¥10.30

-29.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.65

$0.69 ¥4.64

1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.30

$0.91 ¥6.09

3.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.96

$0.75 ¥5.04

-21.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.61 ¥4.06

-11.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 ¥20.39

$4.27 ¥28.52

-28.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 ¥70.3

$13.90 ¥93.0

-24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.93

$1.02 ¥6.80

-27.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥10.96

$1.81 ¥12.09

-9.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.96

$0.69 ¥4.65

-57.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.43 ¥110

$34.82 ¥233

-52.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 ¥9.54

$1.90 ¥12.73

-24.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$0.35 ¥2.36

2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 ¥43.90

$7.28 ¥48.68

-9.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.54

$1.33 ¥8.87

-15.04%

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

$19.1K ¥127.9K

$19.6K ¥131.3K

-2.57%

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

$17.4K ¥116.5K

$18.0K ¥120.6K

-3.39%

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

$45.68 ¥305

$59.1 ¥395

-22.65%

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

$9.85 ¥65.8

$8.77 ¥58.7

12.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.86 ¥79.3

$14.22 ¥95.1

-16.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.22 ¥276

$41.06 ¥275

0.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.86 ¥92.7

$24.89 ¥166

-44.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 ¥38.92

$7.44 ¥49.74

-21.77%

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

$334 ¥2,231

$654 ¥4,375

-49.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ¥110.6K

$24.0K ¥160.5K

-31.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.93 ¥287

$71.2 ¥476

-39.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.21 ¥202

$40.02 ¥268

-24.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 ¥479

$88.2 ¥590

-18.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥482

$127 ¥846

-43.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,875

$945 ¥6,317

-70.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ¥1,268

$523 ¥3,499

-63.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 ¥3,942

$2,362 ¥15.8K

-75.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ¥2,394

$1,122 ¥7,500

-68.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,020 ¥20.2K

$12.3K ¥82.0K

-75.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,070 ¥13.8K

$6,446 ¥43.1K

-67.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

3.12

24.68%

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

Last update for Cixi: October 20, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cixi

$197 27.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3% 16% $31

Accommodation & Living

Cixi

$190 26.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2% 176% $334

Clothing & Footwear

Cixi

$98 13.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4% 50.3% $49

Eating Out

Cixi

$84 11.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1% 28.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cixi

$67 9.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 21.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Cixi

$53 7.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7% 5.8% $3.1

Getting Around

Cixi

$21 2.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5% 98.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $280 in Cixi versus $945 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Cixi versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $229 – making Cixi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Cixi

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

Same time as Cixi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,829,488

21,893,095 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Cixi Beijing (Pekin) 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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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

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,064 per month in Cixi and $1,778 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cixi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Cixi and $30.00 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 $709 in Cixi and $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a gap of about 67%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cixi, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Cixi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cixi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cixi. 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.