Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaifeng and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaifeng: $500 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Kaifeng
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Kaifeng Living Index
57

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

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Kaifeng

🇨🇳 China

$500

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $500 per month in Kaifeng vs $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Kaifeng $500
Beijing (Pekin) $1,197

A couple spends around $792 per month in Kaifeng vs $1,913 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Kaifeng $792
Beijing (Pekin) $1,913

A family of three spends $1,083 per month in Kaifeng vs $2,630 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Kaifeng $1,083
Beijing (Pekin) $2,630

Kaifeng is about 58% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kaifeng and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Kaifeng 63% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.85 ¥12.32

$4.42 ¥29.39

-58.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.44 ¥89.4

$29.66 ¥197

-54.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.12 ¥27.43

$5.37 ¥35.76

-23.28%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ¥14.56

$3.73 ¥24.81

-41.29%

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

$0.39 ¥2.57

$0.56 ¥3.71

-30.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ¥1.15

$0.29 ¥1.94

-41.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.89 ¥5.92

$1.19 ¥7.91

-25.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ¥10.17

$1.73 ¥11.54

-11.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥10.42

$1.72 ¥11.42

-8.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥10.23

$1.77 ¥11.80

-12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.40

$1.29 ¥8.62

-37.21%

Eggs

$0.96 ¥6.40

$1.91 ¥12.74

-49.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.67 ¥44.36

$14.70 ¥97.8

-54.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.30 ¥15.27

$3.22 ¥21.46

-28.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.21 ¥67.9

$11.23 ¥74.7

-9.08%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.79

$2.13 ¥14.15

-59.15%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.43

$1.79 ¥11.88

-45.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$2.05 ¥13.62

-71.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.26

$1.53 ¥10.19

-58.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.84

$0.74 ¥4.89

-21.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.92 ¥6.15

-27.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.21 ¥1.39

$0.69 ¥4.60

-69.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.68

$0.61 ¥4.04

-9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ¥19.59

$4.44 ¥29.57

-33.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 ¥99.0

$14.00 ¥93.2

6.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.71

$1.03 ¥6.84

-1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ¥13.37

$1.80 ¥12.01

11.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 ¥0.88

$0.59 ¥3.89

-77.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.53 ¥216

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ¥7.76

$2.00 ¥13.33

-41.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.15 ¥0.99

$0.33 ¥2.19

-54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ¥24.54

$7.68 ¥51.1

-51.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.45

$1.30 ¥8.64

-2.31%

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

$19.2K ¥127.5K

$19.7K ¥131.3K

-2.92%

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

$14.9K ¥99.1K

$18.0K ¥119.8K

-17.27%

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

$45.22 ¥301

$58.8 ¥392

-23.15%

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

$4.76 ¥31.66

$8.71 ¥58.0

-45.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.28 ¥35.12

$14.51 ¥96.6

-63.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.67 ¥197

$46.71 ¥311

-36.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.55 ¥70.2

$24.48 ¥163

-56.90%

Cinema Ticket

$3.82 ¥25.39

$7.60 ¥50.6

-49.74%

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

$388 ¥2,585

$985 ¥6,555

-60.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K ¥207.6K

$24.5K ¥163.1K

27.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.81 ¥292

$72.1 ¥480

-39.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.96 ¥226

$40.22 ¥268

-15.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 ¥478

$86.8 ¥577

-17.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.32 ¥302

$126 ¥839

-64.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$121 ¥802

$933 ¥6,209

-87.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$88.7 ¥590

$530 ¥3,523

-83.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$225 ¥1,496

$2,279 ¥15.2K

-90.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 ¥1,199

$1,096 ¥7,292

-83.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 ¥43.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$580 ¥3,857

$1,707 ¥11.4K

-66.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

3.12

-0.64%

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

Last update for Kaifeng: 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

Kaifeng

$165 33.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2% 39% $64

Accommodation & Living

Kaifeng

$89 17.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2% 497% $441

Clothing & Footwear

Kaifeng

$88 17.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2% 66.8% $59

Eating Out

Kaifeng

$63 12.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1% 72.6% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kaifeng

$55 11.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 48.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Kaifeng

$37 7.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2% 66% $25

Getting Around

Kaifeng

$2.4 * 0.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2% 1479% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $121 in Kaifeng 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 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Kaifeng versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $165 vs $230 – making Kaifeng the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Kaifeng

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

Same time as Kaifeng

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,676,159

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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Between locations

Kaifeng Beijing (Pekin) 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kaifeng
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

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 139%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $750 per month in Kaifeng 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 Kaifeng, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $121 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Kaifeng and $30 in Beijing (Pekin). That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Beijing (Pekin), though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kaifeng, where all-in costs run around $500, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Kaifeng it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kaifeng – 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 Kaifeng. 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.