Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Datong and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Datong: $709 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Datong
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Datong Living Index
57

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

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Datong

🇨🇳 China

$709

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $709 per month in Datong vs $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Datong $709
Beijing (Pekin) $1,197

A couple spends around $1,127 per month in Datong vs $1,913 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Datong $1,127
Beijing (Pekin) $1,913

A family of three spends $1,545 per month in Datong vs $2,630 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Datong $1,545
Beijing (Pekin) $2,630

Datong is about 41% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Datong and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Datong 48% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 ¥18.23

$4.42 ¥29.39

-38.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.65 ¥144

$29.66 ¥197

-27.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥33.15

$5.37 ¥35.76

-7.26%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥19.65

$3.73 ¥24.81

-20.91%

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

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.56 ¥3.71

-17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.77

$0.29 ¥1.94

-6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.88

$1.19 ¥7.91

-26.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥13.50

$1.73 ¥11.55

17.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.99

$1.72 ¥11.43

4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.28

$1.77 ¥11.80

-12.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.36

$1.29 ¥8.62

-25.58%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.71

$1.91 ¥12.74

-15.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 ¥87.1

$14.70 ¥97.8

-10.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.23 ¥21.48

$3.22 ¥21.46

0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 ¥67.1

$11.23 ¥74.7

-10.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.01

$2.13 ¥14.15

-15.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.01

$1.79 ¥11.89

-32.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥9.98

$2.05 ¥13.62

-26.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.57

$1.53 ¥10.19

-25.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.87

$0.74 ¥4.89

-1.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.12

$0.92 ¥6.15

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.70

$0.69 ¥4.60

-18.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.42

$0.61 ¥4.04

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.10 ¥20.62

$4.44 ¥29.57

-30.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.40 ¥69.2

$14.00 ¥93.2

-25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.05

$1.03 ¥6.84

-26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥10.91

$1.80 ¥12.01

-8.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.77

$0.59 ¥3.89

-54.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.53 ¥110

$32.53 ¥216

-49.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ¥9.35

$2.00 ¥13.33

-29.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.33 ¥2.19

6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.70 ¥44.57

$7.68 ¥51.1

-12.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.80

$1.30 ¥8.64

-10.00%

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

$19.4K ¥129.2K

$19.7K ¥131.4K

-1.67%

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

$17.2K ¥114.2K

$18.0K ¥119.8K

-4.69%

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

$45.68 ¥304

$58.8 ¥392

-22.37%

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

$9.63 ¥64.1

$8.71 ¥58.0

10.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.68 ¥77.8

$14.51 ¥96.6

-19.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.21 ¥274

$46.71 ¥311

-11.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.73 ¥91.4

$24.48 ¥163

-43.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.87 ¥39.05

$7.60 ¥50.6

-22.76%

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

$337 ¥2,242

$985 ¥6,556

-65.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ¥113.2K

$24.5K ¥163.2K

-30.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.28 ¥288

$72.1 ¥480

-39.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.52 ¥203

$40.22 ¥268

-24.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ¥480

$86.8 ¥577

-16.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 ¥484

$126 ¥839

-42.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ¥1,821

$933 ¥6,209

-70.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 ¥1,257

$530 ¥3,524

-64.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,955

$2,279 ¥15.2K

-73.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ¥2,383

$1,096 ¥7,293

-67.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,019 ¥20.1K

$11.8K ¥78.6K

-74.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 ¥13.4K

$6,566 ¥43.7K

-69.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

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 Datong: October 26, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Datong

$198 27.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2% 16.2% $32

Accommodation & Living

Datong

$189 26.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2% 180% $341

Clothing & Footwear

Datong

$98 13.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2% 48.7% $48

Eating Out

Datong

$84 11.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1% 30.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Datong

$67 9.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 22.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Datong

$53 7.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2% 16.9% $9

Getting Around

Datong

$21 2.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2% 85.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $274 in Datong 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Datong versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $230 – making Datong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Datong

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

Same time as Datong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,318,057

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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,064 per month in Datong 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 Datong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $274 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Datong 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 $709 in Datong and $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin). That makes Datong about 41% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Datong, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Datong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Datong is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 41% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.