Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lhasa and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Lhasa: $738 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Lhasa
Learn more

Lhasa Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
Learn more

Beijing (Pekin) Living Index

Jump to prices

Lhasa

🇨🇳 China

$738

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $738 per month in Lhasa vs $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Lhasa $738
Beijing (Pekin) $1,197

A couple spends around $1,194 per month in Lhasa vs $1,913 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Lhasa $1,194
Beijing (Pekin) $1,913

A family of three spends $1,649 per month in Lhasa vs $2,630 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Lhasa $1,649
Beijing (Pekin) $2,630

Lhasa is about 38% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lhasa and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Lhasa 46% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 ¥29.06

$4.42 ¥29.39

-1.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.36 ¥202

$29.66 ¥197

2.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 ¥49.11

$5.37 ¥35.76

37.43%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ¥18.67

$3.73 ¥24.81

-24.66%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.56 ¥3.71

-23.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.05

$0.29 ¥1.94

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.85

$1.19 ¥7.91

24.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥13.84

$1.73 ¥11.55

20.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.96

$1.72 ¥11.43

4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ¥11.00

$1.77 ¥11.80

-6.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.73

$1.29 ¥8.62

-21.71%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.54

$1.91 ¥12.74

-17.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 ¥46.59

$14.70 ¥97.8

-52.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 ¥20.23

$3.22 ¥21.46

-5.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ¥74.2

$11.23 ¥74.7

-0.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ¥12.16

$2.13 ¥14.15

-14.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.90

$1.79 ¥11.89

-25.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ¥10.41

$2.05 ¥13.62

-23.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.53 ¥10.19

-13.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.65

$0.74 ¥4.89

-5.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.34

$0.92 ¥6.15

3.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.93

$0.69 ¥4.60

-14.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.96

$0.61 ¥4.04

-3.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥25.58

$4.44 ¥29.58

-13.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$14.00 ¥93.2

-19.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.62

$1.03 ¥6.84

-18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.71

$1.80 ¥12.01

-10.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.06

$0.59 ¥3.90

-47.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.27 ¥122

$32.53 ¥217

-43.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.81

$2.00 ¥13.33

-26.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ¥2.16

$0.33 ¥2.19

-3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.33 ¥48.81

$7.68 ¥51.1

-4.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.71

$1.30 ¥8.64

0.77%

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

$19.2K ¥127.8K

$19.7K ¥131.4K

-2.73%

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

$17.7K ¥117.7K

$18.0K ¥119.8K

-1.78%

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

$56.5 ¥376

$58.8 ¥392

-3.96%

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

$8.54 ¥56.8

$8.71 ¥58.0

-1.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$14.51 ¥96.6

-22.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.42 ¥282

$46.71 ¥311

-9.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.12 ¥101

$24.48 ¥163

-38.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 ¥42.15

$7.60 ¥50.6

-16.71%

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

$434 ¥2,885

$985 ¥6,556

-56.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥118.6K

$24.5K ¥163.2K

-27.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.74 ¥284

$72.1 ¥480

-40.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.30 ¥222

$40.22 ¥268

-17.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥502

$86.8 ¥578

-13.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 ¥508

$126 ¥839

-39.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$287 ¥1,910

$933 ¥6,209

-69.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 ¥1,256

$530 ¥3,524

-64.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ¥3,978

$2,279 ¥15.2K

-73.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ¥2,482

$1,096 ¥7,293

-65.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,221 ¥21.4K

$11.8K ¥78.6K

-72.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,933 ¥12.9K

$6,566 ¥43.7K

-70.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,079 ¥13.8K

$1,707 ¥11.4K

21.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.12

7.69%

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

Last update for Lhasa: October 24, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lhasa

$189 25.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2% 181% $341

Groceries & Markets

Lhasa

$188 25.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2% 22.2% $42

Eating Out

Lhasa

$105 14.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1% 3.6% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Lhasa

$103 13.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2% 42.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lhasa

$76 10.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 7.6% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Lhasa

$55 7.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2% 12.4% $6.8

Getting Around

Lhasa

$23 3.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2% 70.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $287 in Lhasa 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 run about 22% higher in Lhasa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Lhasa versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $230 – making Lhasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Lhasa

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

09:20 9:20 AM

Same time as Lhasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

867,891

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lhasa Beijing (Pekin) 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lhasa
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

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,108 per month in Lhasa 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 Lhasa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $287 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

Public transport costs about 44% less in Lhasa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Beijing (Pekin), though the gap depends on what you buy.

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