Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Foshan and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Foshan: $777 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Foshan
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Foshan Living Index
58

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

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Foshan

🇨🇳 China

$777

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $777 per month in Foshan vs $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Foshan $777
Beijing (Pekin) $1,184

A couple spends around $1,242 per month in Foshan vs $1,916 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Foshan $1,242
Beijing (Pekin) $1,916

A family of three spends $1,708 per month in Foshan vs $2,647 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Foshan $1,708
Beijing (Pekin) $2,647

Foshan is about 34% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 ¥25.26

$4.47 ¥29.86

-15.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.79 ¥152

$29.66 ¥198

-23.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.19

$5.21 ¥34.80

-1.92%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥20.50

$3.72 ¥24.86

-17.47%

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

$0.52 ¥3.49

$0.50 ¥3.34

4.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.26 ¥1.73

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$1.17 ¥7.84

4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$1.66 ¥11.07

13.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ¥11.11

$1.65 ¥11.05

0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ¥7.48

$1.76 ¥11.74

-36.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.16

$1.27 ¥8.51

-27.56%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.38

$1.88 ¥12.55

-9.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 ¥112

$14.65 ¥98.0

13.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 ¥26.18

$3.15 ¥21.03

24.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.69 ¥71.5

$11.03 ¥73.8

-3.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ¥20.16

$2.02 ¥13.53

49.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.72 ¥11.47

-26.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.69

$2.08 ¥13.94

-8.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.91

$1.55 ¥10.35

5.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$0.72 ¥4.82

51.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.38

$0.85 ¥5.68

11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.26

$0.69 ¥4.60

-7.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.36

$0.61 ¥4.10

-18.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 ¥14.89

$4.32 ¥28.88

-48.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 ¥68.4

$14.10 ¥94.3

-27.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.24

$1.01 ¥6.76

-7.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.13

$1.82 ¥12.17

-17.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.70 ¥4.67

-55.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.62 ¥71.0

$34.48 ¥231

-69.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.18

$1.92 ¥12.84

-20.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.33 ¥2.19

42.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 ¥58.9

$7.67 ¥51.3

14.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.19

$1.34 ¥8.93

-8.96%

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

$21.3K ¥142.3K

$19.3K ¥128.9K

10.39%

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

$16.2K ¥108.3K

$18.3K ¥122.3K

-11.48%

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

$84.5 ¥565

$57.3 ¥383

47.45%

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

$7.92 ¥53.0

$9.13 ¥61.0

-13.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.69 ¥105

$14.22 ¥95.1

10.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ¥477

$42.34 ¥283

68.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.83 ¥159

$24.61 ¥165

-3.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 ¥35.50

$7.40 ¥49.48

-28.24%

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

$457 ¥3,054

$660 ¥4,410

-30.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ¥155.8K

$24.2K ¥161.9K

-3.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.21 ¥282

$69.8 ¥467

-39.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.76 ¥125

$39.69 ¥265

-52.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.1 ¥415

$88.9 ¥594

-30.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 ¥614

$127 ¥849

-27.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 ¥2,031

$940 ¥6,286

-67.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ¥1,061

$524 ¥3,501

-69.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥3,982

$2,319 ¥15.5K

-74.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 ¥2,279

$1,128 ¥7,542

-69.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,329 ¥28.9K

$12.4K ¥82.8K

-65.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,864 ¥12.5K

$6,284 ¥42.0K

-70.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$802 ¥5,362

$1,713 ¥11.5K

-53.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.12

22.76%

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

Last update for Foshan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Foshan

$220 28.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2% 2.9% $6.5

Accommodation & Living

Foshan

$159 20.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2% 230% $365

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Foshan

$108 13.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8% 25.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Foshan

$97 12.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4% 51.4% $50

Eating Out

Foshan

$96 12.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1% 13.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Foshan

$82 10.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8% 30.3% $25

Getting Around

Foshan

$16 2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5% 159% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $304 in Foshan versus $940 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 114% 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 $23.00 in Foshan versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $220 vs $227 – making Foshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Foshan

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

Same time as Foshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,498,863

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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Between locations

Foshan Beijing (Pekin) 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Foshan
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

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,166 per month in Foshan and $1,775 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Foshan, 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 $23.00 in Foshan 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 $777 in Foshan and $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a gap of about 52%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Foshan, where all-in costs run around $777, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Foshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Foshan – 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 Foshan. 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.