Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putian and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Putian: $518 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Putian
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Putian Living Index
58

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

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Putian

🇨🇳 China

$518

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $518 per month in Putian vs $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Putian $518
Beijing (Pekin) $1,185

A couple spends around $854 per month in Putian vs $1,917 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Putian $854
Beijing (Pekin) $1,917

A family of three spends $1,190 per month in Putian vs $2,648 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Putian $1,190
Beijing (Pekin) $2,648

Putian is about 56% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Putian and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Putian 62% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 ¥14.79

$4.53 ¥30.31

-51.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.26 ¥156

$30.16 ¥202

-22.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥34.57

$5.36 ¥35.83

-3.54%

Cappuccino

$2.44 ¥16.32

$3.57 ¥23.84

-31.65%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.51 ¥3.39

-15.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.28 ¥1.89

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.16

$1.19 ¥7.94

-35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ¥19.58

$1.71 ¥11.43

71.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$1.74 ¥11.66

-15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$1.77 ¥11.82

27.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$1.29 ¥8.61

-27.91%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.58

$1.95 ¥13.01

-18.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$14.29 ¥95.5

-17.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 ¥16.22

$3.31 ¥22.13

-26.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 ¥81.4

$11.11 ¥74.3

9.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 ¥17.03

$2.12 ¥14.18

20.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.49

$1.73 ¥11.56

-17.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ¥11.34

$2.09 ¥13.98

-18.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ¥13.25

$1.54 ¥10.30

28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.79

$0.69 ¥4.64

47.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.86

$0.91 ¥6.09

94.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$0.75 ¥5.04

24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.36

$0.61 ¥4.06

-18.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.31

$4.27 ¥28.52

-28.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 ¥74.8

$13.90 ¥93.0

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.58

$1.02 ¥6.80

-18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.81 ¥12.09

-5.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 ¥4.92

$0.69 ¥4.65

7.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.38 ¥150

$34.82 ¥233

-35.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$1.90 ¥12.73

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.35 ¥2.36

-17.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.94

$7.28 ¥48.68

-3.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.33 ¥8.87

-1.50%

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

$19.4K ¥129.8K

$19.6K ¥131.3K

-1.12%

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

$17.8K ¥118.8K

$18.0K ¥120.6K

-1.49%

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

$44.03 ¥294

$59.1 ¥395

-25.45%

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

$8.87 ¥59.3

$8.77 ¥58.7

1.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.55 ¥70.6

$14.22 ¥95.1

-25.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 ¥67.4

$7.44 ¥49.74

35.48%

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

$492 ¥3,286

$654 ¥4,375

-24.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.6K

$24.0K ¥160.5K

1.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.10 ¥261

$71.2 ¥476

-45.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 ¥195

$40.02 ¥268

-27.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ¥691

$88.2 ¥590

17.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 ¥573

$127 ¥846

-32.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 ¥17.6K

$12.3K ¥82.0K

-78.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,115 ¥7,452

$6,446 ¥43.1K

-82.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$480 ¥3,211

$1,715 ¥11.5K

-72.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.12

10.90%

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

Last update for Putian: October 20, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Putian

$215 41.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3% 6.1% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Putian

$116 22.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4% 26.7% $31

Eating Out

Putian

$75 14.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1% 43.3% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Putian

$63 12.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 29.3% $19

Getting Around

Putian

$28 5.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5% 45.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Putian

$20 * 3.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7% 178% $36

Accommodation & Living

Putian

- * 0%

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 257% 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 $23.00 in Putian versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $229 – making Putian the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Putian

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

09:33 9:33 AM

Same time as Putian

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,954,000

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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Between locations

Putian Beijing (Pekin) 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Putian
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

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 129%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $777 per month in Putian and $1,778 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Putian 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 $518 in Putian and $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a gap of about 129%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Putian, where all-in costs run around $518, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Putian it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Putian – 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 Putian. 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.