Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puning and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Puning: $712 a month against $1,190 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Puning
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Puning Living Index
57

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

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Puning

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $712 per month in Puning vs $1,190 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Puning $712
Beijing (Pekin) $1,190

A couple spends around $1,131 per month in Puning vs $1,889 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Puning $1,131
Beijing (Pekin) $1,889

A family of three spends $1,549 per month in Puning vs $2,588 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Puning $1,549
Beijing (Pekin) $2,588

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.73 ¥18.19

$4.54 ¥30.22

-39.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.24 ¥141

$29.58 ¥197

-28.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ¥31.66

$5.22 ¥34.76

-8.81%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.77

$3.73 ¥24.86

-20.38%

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

$0.47 ¥3.11

$0.53 ¥3.53

-11.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.96

$0.29 ¥1.94

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$1.17 ¥7.79

-19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.68

$1.70 ¥11.30

21.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.40

$1.69 ¥11.28

10.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.81

$1.70 ¥11.29

-4.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.93

$1.30 ¥8.67

-31.54%

Eggs

$1.60 ¥10.64

$1.99 ¥13.24

-19.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.5

$14.82 ¥98.6

-12.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 ¥21.15

$3.29 ¥21.89

-3.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.04 ¥66.9

$10.93 ¥72.7

-8.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.12

$2.09 ¥13.93

-12.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ¥7.98

$1.71 ¥11.40

-29.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$2.05 ¥13.65

-25.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.36

$1.56 ¥10.38

-29.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.64

$0.74 ¥4.92

-5.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.08

$0.84 ¥5.57

8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ¥3.69

$0.74 ¥4.91

-25.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.61

$0.57 ¥3.81

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 ¥20.50

$4.25 ¥28.32

-27.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 ¥71.3

$14.22 ¥94.7

-24.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$0.98 ¥6.50

-19.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.88 ¥12.55

-14.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.95

$0.57 ¥3.82

-49.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.78 ¥112

$29.59 ¥197

-43.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ¥9.46

$1.94 ¥12.89

-26.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.34

$0.33 ¥2.22

6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 ¥43.54

$7.08 ¥47.16

-7.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.88

$1.37 ¥9.11

-13.87%

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

$19.2K ¥128.1K

$19.8K ¥131.9K

-2.88%

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

$17.1K ¥113.8K

$17.9K ¥119.2K

-4.51%

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

$45.86 ¥305

$59.7 ¥397

-23.17%

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

$9.63 ¥64.1

$8.90 ¥59.3

8.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.49 ¥76.5

$14.41 ¥96.0

-20.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.07 ¥273

$46.85 ¥312

-12.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.90 ¥92.6

$24.86 ¥166

-44.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ¥38.43

$7.50 ¥49.96

-23.07%

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

$339 ¥2,256

$968 ¥6,444

-65.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ¥113.6K

$44.5K ¥296.6K

-61.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.45 ¥296

$72.2 ¥481

-38.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.03 ¥207

$40.00 ¥266

-22.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ¥478

$89.3 ¥595

-19.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ¥481

$125 ¥830

-42.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 ¥1,852

$942 ¥6,274

-70.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ¥1,267

$525 ¥3,495

-63.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 ¥3,991

$2,250 ¥15.0K

-73.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ¥2,404

$1,061 ¥7,066

-65.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,972 ¥19.8K

$12.2K ¥80.9K

-75.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,066 ¥13.8K

$6,534 ¥43.5K

-68.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,688 ¥11.2K

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 Puning: November 3, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Puning

$199 27.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$228 19.2% 14.7% $29

Accommodation & Living

Puning

$190 26.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$525 44.1% 176% $335

Clothing & Footwear

Puning

$99 13.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.3% 48.6% $48

Eating Out

Puning

$84 11.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.2% 30.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puning

$67 9.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$83 7% 23.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Puning

$53 7.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2% 17.6% $9.2

Getting Around

Puning

$21 3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$35 3% 68% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $278 in Puning versus $942 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 $21 in Puning versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $228 – making Puning the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Puning

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

Same time as Puning

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,508,900

21,893,095 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Puning Beijing (Pekin) 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,068 per month in Puning and $1,784 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puning, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $278 there versus $942 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Puning 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 $712 in Puning and $1,190 in Beijing (Pekin). That makes Puning about 40% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Puning, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,190. In Puning it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Puning is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 40% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.