Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Handan and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Handan: $691 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Handan
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Handan Living Index
57

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

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Handan

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $691 per month in Handan vs $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Handan $691
Beijing (Pekin) $1,197

A couple spends around $1,040 per month in Handan vs $1,913 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Handan $1,040
Beijing (Pekin) $1,913

A family of three spends $1,390 per month in Handan vs $2,630 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Handan $1,390
Beijing (Pekin) $2,630

Handan is about 42% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Handan and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Handan 49% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.83 ¥12.17

$4.42 ¥29.39

-58.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.67 ¥118

$29.66 ¥197

-40.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.45 ¥29.63

$5.37 ¥35.76

-17.13%

Cappuccino

$2.68 ¥17.82

$3.73 ¥24.81

-28.15%

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

$0.42 ¥2.82

$0.56 ¥3.71

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.53

$0.29 ¥1.94

-20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.71 ¥4.75

$1.19 ¥7.91

-40.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.83

$1.73 ¥11.55

-14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥10.10

$1.72 ¥11.43

-11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ¥4.86

$1.77 ¥11.80

-58.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.88

$1.29 ¥8.62

-43.41%

Eggs

$0.98 ¥6.49

$1.91 ¥12.74

-48.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 ¥79.8

$14.70 ¥97.8

-18.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.97 ¥19.78

$3.22 ¥21.46

-7.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 ¥74.4

$11.23 ¥74.7

-0.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.39

$2.13 ¥14.15

-33.80%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.17

$1.79 ¥11.89

-64.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 ¥9.57

$2.05 ¥13.62

-29.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.61

$1.53 ¥10.19

-25.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.74 ¥4.89

-58.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 ¥2.06

$0.92 ¥6.15

-66.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$0.69 ¥4.60

-18.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$0.61 ¥4.04

-37.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.74 ¥24.86

$4.44 ¥29.57

-15.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 ¥67.0

$14.00 ¥93.2

-28.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥4.69

$1.03 ¥6.84

-32.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ¥9.05

$1.80 ¥12.01

-24.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.59 ¥3.89

-47.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.24 ¥121

$32.53 ¥216

-43.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 ¥6.25

$2.00 ¥13.33

-53.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.33 ¥2.19

-18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 ¥29.53

$7.68 ¥51.1

-42.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.75

$1.30 ¥8.64

1.54%

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

$19.5K ¥130.0K

$19.7K ¥131.4K

-1.06%

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

$14.9K ¥99.0K

$18.0K ¥119.8K

-17.34%

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

$73.0 ¥486

$58.8 ¥392

24.01%

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

$4.58 ¥30.47

$8.71 ¥58.0

-47.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.09 ¥33.88

$14.51 ¥96.6

-64.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.16 ¥274

$46.71 ¥311

-11.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.11 ¥114

$24.48 ¥163

-30.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 ¥29.30

$7.60 ¥50.6

-42.11%

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

$213 ¥1,419

$985 ¥6,556

-78.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K ¥132.5K

$24.5K ¥163.2K

-18.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.04 ¥200

$72.1 ¥480

-58.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.53 ¥283

$40.22 ¥268

5.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.47 ¥303

$86.8 ¥577

-47.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 ¥461

$126 ¥839

-45.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 ¥1,955

$933 ¥6,209

-68.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 ¥1,413

$530 ¥3,524

-59.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 ¥4,395

$2,279 ¥15.2K

-71.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 ¥2,246

$1,096 ¥7,293

-69.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,801 ¥18.6K

$11.8K ¥78.6K

-76.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,092 ¥13.9K

$6,566 ¥43.7K

-68.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$651 ¥4,331

$1,707 ¥11.4K

-61.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

-3.85%

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

Last update for Handan: 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

Handan

$212 30.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2% 149% $317

Groceries & Markets

Handan

$171 24.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2% 34.5% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Handan

$84 12.2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2% 73.6% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Handan

$83 12%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 0.7% $0.6

Eating Out

Handan

$69 10%

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1% 57.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Handan

$50 7.2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2% 23.9% $12

Getting Around

Handan

$22 3.2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2% 76.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $294 in Handan 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 in Beijing (Pekin) are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Handan versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $230 – making Handan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Handan

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

Same time as Handan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,413,990

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

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,037 per month in Handan 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 Handan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $294 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Handan 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 $691 in Handan and $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin). That’s a gap of about 73%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Handan, where all-in costs run around $691, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Handan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Handan – 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 Handan. 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.