Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dalian and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Dalian: $917 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Beijing (Pekin) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Dalian
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Dalian Living Index
57

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

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Dalian

🇨🇳 China

$917

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $917 per month in Dalian vs $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Dalian $917
Beijing (Pekin) $1,197

A couple spends around $1,453 per month in Dalian vs $1,913 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Dalian $1,453
Beijing (Pekin) $1,913

A family of three spends $1,989 per month in Dalian vs $2,630 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Dalian $1,989
Beijing (Pekin) $2,630

Dalian is about 23% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dalian and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Dalian 33% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.37

$4.42 ¥29.39

-17.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.01 ¥166

$29.66 ¥197

-15.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 ¥35.83

$5.37 ¥35.76

0.19%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.82

$3.73 ¥24.81

-8.04%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$0.56 ¥3.71

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.52

$0.29 ¥1.94

-20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ¥6.57

$1.19 ¥7.91

-16.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.05

$1.73 ¥11.55

-12.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ¥10.91

$1.72 ¥11.43

-4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ¥9.95

$1.77 ¥11.80

-15.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.33

$1.29 ¥8.62

-26.36%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.47

$1.91 ¥12.74

-17.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.12 ¥134

$14.70 ¥97.8

36.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.50 ¥23.32

$3.22 ¥21.46

8.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ¥85.2

$11.23 ¥74.7

14.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$2.13 ¥14.15

-39.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.25

$1.79 ¥11.89

-39.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ¥13.08

$2.05 ¥13.62

-3.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.94

$1.53 ¥10.19

-41.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.92

$0.74 ¥4.89

20.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.58

$0.92 ¥6.15

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 ¥8.71

$0.69 ¥4.60

89.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.61 ¥4.04

3.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.46

$4.44 ¥29.57

-13.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.01 ¥99.9

$14.00 ¥93.2

7.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 ¥7.46

$1.03 ¥6.84

8.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥12.36

$1.80 ¥12.01

3.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.59 ¥3.89

-50.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.71 ¥198

$32.53 ¥216

-8.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ¥10.25

$2.00 ¥13.33

-23.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$0.33 ¥2.19

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 ¥28.23

$7.68 ¥51.1

-44.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.44

$1.30 ¥8.64

-2.31%

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

$19.2K ¥127.7K

$19.7K ¥131.4K

-2.75%

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

$17.3K ¥115.3K

$18.0K ¥119.8K

-3.73%

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

$66.0 ¥439

$58.8 ¥392

12.13%

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

$9.51 ¥63.3

$8.71 ¥58.0

9.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.65 ¥90.8

$14.51 ¥96.6

-5.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 ¥269

$46.71 ¥311

-13.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.60 ¥244

$24.48 ¥163

49.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 ¥46.21

$7.60 ¥50.6

-8.68%

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

$403 ¥2,678

$985 ¥6,556

-59.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K ¥137.1K

$24.5K ¥163.2K

-15.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.0 ¥505

$72.1 ¥480

5.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ¥372

$40.22 ¥268

39.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 ¥746

$86.8 ¥577

29.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ¥808

$126 ¥839

-3.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 ¥2,703

$933 ¥6,209

-56.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ¥1,583

$530 ¥3,524

-55.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$701 ¥4,667

$2,279 ¥15.2K

-69.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 ¥2,992

$1,096 ¥7,293

-58.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,636 ¥17.5K

$11.8K ¥78.6K

-77.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,644 ¥10.9K

$6,566 ¥43.7K

-74.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,077 ¥7,169

$1,707 ¥11.4K

-36.90%

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 Dalian: October 25, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dalian

$239 26.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2% 4% $9.5

Accommodation & Living

Dalian

$238 26%

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2% 123% $292

Clothing & Footwear

Dalian

$164 17.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2% 11% $18

Eating Out

Dalian

$97 10.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1% 11.9% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dalian

$89 9.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 7.9% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Dalian

$54 5.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2% 14% $7.6

Getting Around

Dalian

$35 3.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2% 11.5% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $406 in Dalian 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 58% higher in Beijing (Pekin). Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Dalian versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Groceries tell a different story – $239 in Dalian vs $230 in Beijing (Pekin) – so Beijing (Pekin) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Dalian

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

Same time as Dalian

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,450,785

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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,375 per month in Dalian 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 Dalian, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $406 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Dalian 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 $917 in Dalian and $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin). That makes Dalian about 23% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Dalian – 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 Dalian. 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.