Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nantong and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Nantong: $750 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Nantong
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Nantong Living Index
58

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

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Nantong

🇨🇳 China

$750

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $750 per month in Nantong vs $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Nantong $750
Beijing (Pekin) $1,184

A couple spends around $1,237 per month in Nantong vs $1,916 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Nantong $1,237
Beijing (Pekin) $1,916

A family of three spends $1,725 per month in Nantong vs $2,647 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Nantong $1,725
Beijing (Pekin) $2,647

Nantong is about 37% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Nantong and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Nantong 44% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.01 ¥20.15

$4.47 ¥29.86

-32.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.57 ¥158

$29.66 ¥198

-20.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.43 ¥29.64

$5.21 ¥34.80

-14.97%

Cappuccino

$2.79 ¥18.69

$3.72 ¥24.86

-25.00%

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

$0.63 ¥4.23

$0.50 ¥3.34

26.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.23

$0.26 ¥1.73

26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$1.17 ¥7.84

-38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥14.56

$1.66 ¥11.07

31.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.65 ¥11.05

-2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 ¥10.19

$1.76 ¥11.74

-13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.26

$1.27 ¥8.51

-37.80%

Eggs

$1.73 ¥11.55

$1.88 ¥12.55

-7.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.67 ¥44.59

$14.65 ¥98.0

-54.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 ¥24.66

$3.15 ¥21.03

17.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 ¥69.3

$11.03 ¥73.8

-5.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 ¥15.37

$2.02 ¥13.53

13.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 ¥9.34

$1.72 ¥11.47

-18.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.14

$2.08 ¥13.94

-26.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.78

$1.55 ¥10.35

-5.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.51

$0.72 ¥4.82

-6.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.04

$0.85 ¥5.68

5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.46

$0.69 ¥4.60

-2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.37

$0.61 ¥4.10

-18.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ¥23.00

$4.32 ¥28.88

-20.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.14 ¥61.1

$14.10 ¥94.3

-35.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.97

$1.01 ¥6.76

-26.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.06

$1.82 ¥12.17

-9.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ¥1.40

$0.70 ¥4.67

-70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.73 ¥98.5

$34.48 ¥231

-57.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ¥12.89

$1.92 ¥12.84

0.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.33 ¥2.19

15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.00 ¥46.78

$7.67 ¥51.3

-8.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥8.07

$1.34 ¥8.93

-9.70%

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

$19.6K ¥131.1K

$19.3K ¥128.9K

1.73%

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

$18.8K ¥125.8K

$18.3K ¥122.3K

2.84%

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

$47.85 ¥320

$57.3 ¥383

-16.52%

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

$7.48 ¥50.0

$9.13 ¥61.0

-18.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.96 ¥100

$14.22 ¥95.1

5.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$114 ¥763

$42.34 ¥283

169.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.96 ¥80.0

$24.61 ¥165

-51.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.68 ¥51.3

$7.40 ¥49.48

3.78%

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

$203 ¥1,356

$660 ¥4,410

-69.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ¥80.1K

$24.2K ¥161.9K

-50.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 ¥388

$69.8 ¥467

-16.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.62 ¥285

$39.69 ¥265

7.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.3 ¥443

$88.9 ¥594

-25.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ¥736

$127 ¥849

-13.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$213 ¥1,422

$940 ¥6,286

-77.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 ¥946

$524 ¥3,501

-72.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 ¥4,656

$2,319 ¥15.5K

-69.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ¥2,367

$1,128 ¥7,542

-68.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,720 ¥24.9K

$12.4K ¥82.8K

-69.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,249 ¥15.0K

$6,284 ¥42.0K

-64.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,289 ¥8,622

$1,713 ¥11.5K

-24.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.12

12.18%

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

Last update for Nantong: October 10, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nantong

$182 24.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2% 24.6% $45

Accommodation & Living

Nantong

$142 18.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2% 270% $382

Sport & Entertainment

Nantong

$130 17.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8% 55.9% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Nantong

$125 16.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4% 17.4% $22

Eating Out

Nantong

$83 11%

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1% 30.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nantong

$70 9.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8% 14.8% $10

Getting Around

Nantong

$19 2.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5% 111% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $213 in Nantong 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 33% 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 $24.00 in Nantong versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $227 – making Nantong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Nantong

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

22:04 10:04 PM

Same time as Nantong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,726,635

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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Nantong Beijing (Pekin) 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nantong
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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

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,125 per month in Nantong 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 Nantong, 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 $24.00 in Nantong 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 $750 in Nantong and $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a gap of about 58%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nantong, where all-in costs run around $750, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Nantong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nantong – 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 Nantong. 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.