Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kunshan and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Kunshan: $714 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Kunshan
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Kunshan Living Index
58

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

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Kunshan

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $714 per month in Kunshan vs $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Kunshan $714
Beijing (Pekin) $1,184

A couple spends around $1,137 per month in Kunshan vs $1,916 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Kunshan $1,137
Beijing (Pekin) $1,916

A family of three spends $1,560 per month in Kunshan vs $2,647 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Kunshan $1,560
Beijing (Pekin) $2,647

Kunshan is about 40% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Kunshan and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Kunshan 47% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 ¥18.46

$4.47 ¥29.86

-38.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.65 ¥145

$29.66 ¥198

-27.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.35

$5.21 ¥34.80

-4.22%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.60

$3.72 ¥24.86

-17.20%

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

$0.46 ¥3.10

$0.50 ¥3.34

-8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.26 ¥1.73

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.18

$1.17 ¥7.84

-21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.32

$1.66 ¥11.07

28.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.44

$1.65 ¥11.05

12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.63

$1.76 ¥11.74

-9.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.29

$1.27 ¥8.51

-25.98%

Eggs

$1.59 ¥10.65

$1.88 ¥12.55

-15.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 ¥86.5

$14.65 ¥98.0

-11.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 ¥21.02

$3.15 ¥21.03

-0.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 ¥68.1

$11.03 ¥73.8

-7.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$2.02 ¥13.53

-10.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.72 ¥11.47

-27.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.99

$2.08 ¥13.94

-28.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.64

$1.55 ¥10.35

-26.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.89

$0.72 ¥4.82

1.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.50

$0.85 ¥5.68

14.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.79

$0.69 ¥4.60

-17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.44

$0.61 ¥4.10

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ¥20.68

$4.32 ¥28.88

-28.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$14.10 ¥94.3

-24.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.93

$1.01 ¥6.76

-26.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.00

$1.82 ¥12.17

-9.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.96

$0.70 ¥4.67

-58.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.02 ¥114

$34.48 ¥231

-50.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 ¥9.37

$1.92 ¥12.84

-27.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.33 ¥2.19

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 ¥43.38

$7.67 ¥51.3

-15.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.58

$1.34 ¥8.93

-15.67%

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

$19.5K ¥130.4K

$19.3K ¥128.9K

1.17%

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

$16.9K ¥113.2K

$18.3K ¥122.3K

-7.48%

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

$45.06 ¥301

$57.3 ¥383

-21.39%

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

$9.74 ¥65.1

$9.13 ¥61.0

6.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.75 ¥78.5

$14.22 ¥95.1

-17.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 ¥281

$42.34 ¥283

-0.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.90 ¥92.9

$24.61 ¥165

-43.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 ¥40.04

$7.40 ¥49.48

-19.05%

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

$337 ¥2,252

$660 ¥4,410

-48.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥112.9K

$24.2K ¥161.9K

-30.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.07 ¥288

$69.8 ¥467

-38.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.24 ¥202

$39.69 ¥265

-23.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 ¥473

$88.9 ¥594

-20.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 ¥477

$127 ¥849

-43.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ¥1,834

$940 ¥6,286

-70.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ¥1,271

$524 ¥3,501

-63.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 ¥3,948

$2,319 ¥15.5K

-74.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 ¥2,455

$1,128 ¥7,542

-67.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,017 ¥20.2K

$12.4K ¥82.8K

-75.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,058 ¥13.8K

$6,284 ¥42.0K

-67.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ¥11.5K

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 Kunshan: October 12, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kunshan

$199 27.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2% 14% $28

Accommodation & Living

Kunshan

$190 26.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2% 175% $333

Clothing & Footwear

Kunshan

$97 13.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4% 51.1% $49

Eating Out

Kunshan

$86 12%

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1% 26% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kunshan

$67 9.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8% 21.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Kunshan

$54 7.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8% 5.8% $3.1

Getting Around

Kunshan

$21 3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5% 92.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $274 in Kunshan 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Kunshan versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $227 – making Kunshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Kunshan

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

Same time as Kunshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,092,496

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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Kunshan Beijing (Pekin) 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kunshan
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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

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,070 per month in Kunshan 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 Kunshan, 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 $22.00 in Kunshan 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 $714 in Kunshan and $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a gap of about 66%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kunshan, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Kunshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kunshan. 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.