Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qingdao, Shandong and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Qingdao, Shandong: $773 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Qingdao, Shandong
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Qingdao, Shandong Living Index
57

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

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Qingdao, Shandong

🇨🇳 China

$773

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $773 per month in Qingdao, Shandong vs $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Qingdao, Shandong $773
Beijing (Pekin) $1,197

A couple spends around $1,221 per month in Qingdao, Shandong vs $1,913 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Qingdao, Shandong $1,221
Beijing (Pekin) $1,913

A family of three spends $1,669 per month in Qingdao, Shandong vs $2,630 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Qingdao, Shandong $1,669
Beijing (Pekin) $2,630

Qingdao, Shandong is about 35% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Qingdao, Shandong and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Qingdao, Shandong 43% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ¥20.23

$4.42 ¥29.39

-31.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.01 ¥120

$29.66 ¥197

-39.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.41 ¥29.36

$5.37 ¥35.76

-17.88%

Cappuccino

$2.71 ¥18.01

$3.73 ¥24.81

-27.35%

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

$0.54 ¥3.59

$0.56 ¥3.71

-3.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ¥2.13

$0.29 ¥1.94

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ¥6.98

$1.19 ¥7.91

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ¥17.50

$1.73 ¥11.54

52.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ¥12.78

$1.72 ¥11.42

11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ¥9.40

$1.77 ¥11.80

-20.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.64

$1.29 ¥8.62

-22.48%

Eggs

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.91 ¥12.74

-30.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 ¥110

$14.70 ¥97.8

12.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 ¥28.19

$3.22 ¥21.46

31.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 ¥64.0

$11.23 ¥74.7

-14.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 ¥9.32

$2.13 ¥14.15

-34.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.57

$1.79 ¥11.88

-36.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ¥11.41

$2.05 ¥13.62

-16.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.42

$1.53 ¥10.19

-17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.54

$0.74 ¥4.89

-8.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.50

$0.92 ¥6.15

6.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ¥6.68

$0.69 ¥4.60

44.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.04

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 ¥25.59

$4.44 ¥29.57

-13.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 ¥98.7

$14.00 ¥93.2

5.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.86

$1.03 ¥6.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.40

$1.80 ¥12.01

-13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.90

$0.59 ¥3.89

-50.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.97 ¥120

$32.53 ¥216

-44.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.71

$2.00 ¥13.33

-27.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.33 ¥2.19

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.14 ¥60.8

$7.68 ¥51.1

19.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.41

$1.30 ¥8.64

-3.08%

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

$19.6K ¥130.2K

$19.7K ¥131.3K

-0.88%

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

$17.4K ¥115.5K

$18.0K ¥119.8K

-3.54%

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

$69.3 ¥461

$58.8 ¥392

17.74%

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

$6.65 ¥44.28

$8.71 ¥58.0

-23.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.64 ¥50.8

$14.51 ¥96.6

-47.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.14 ¥141

$46.71 ¥311

-54.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.67 ¥118

$24.48 ¥163

-27.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 ¥41.88

$7.60 ¥50.6

-17.24%

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

$364 ¥2,423

$985 ¥6,555

-63.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥119.2K

$24.5K ¥163.1K

-26.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ¥351

$72.1 ¥480

-26.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.91 ¥325

$40.22 ¥268

21.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 ¥629

$86.8 ¥577

8.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 ¥603

$126 ¥839

-28.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 ¥2,259

$933 ¥6,209

-63.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 ¥1,311

$530 ¥3,523

-62.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 ¥5,117

$2,279 ¥15.2K

-66.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 ¥2,670

$1,096 ¥7,292

-63.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,272 ¥21.8K

$11.8K ¥78.6K

-72.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 ¥13.9K

$6,566 ¥43.7K

-68.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,220 ¥8,120

$1,707 ¥11.4K

-28.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

3.12

8.01%

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

Last update for Qingdao, Shandong: October 27, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Qingdao, Shandong

$223 28.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2% 3.2% $7

Accommodation & Living

Qingdao, Shandong

$197 25.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2% 169% $332

Clothing & Footwear

Qingdao, Shandong

$129 16.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2% 13.4% $17

Eating Out

Qingdao, Shandong

$84 10.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1% 29.8% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qingdao, Shandong

$84 10.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 1.8% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Qingdao, Shandong

$34 4.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2% 83.5% $28

Getting Around

Qingdao, Shandong

$23 2.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2% 70.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $340 in Qingdao, Shandong 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 40% 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 $18 in Qingdao, Shandong versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $230 – making Qingdao, Shandong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Qingdao, Shandong

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

Same time as Qingdao, Shandong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,071,722

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

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Qingdao, Shandong Beijing (Pekin) 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Qingdao, Shandong
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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

Qingdao, Shandong vs Beijing (Pekin): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,159 per month in Qingdao, Shandong 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 Qingdao, Shandong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $340 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Qingdao, Shandong 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 $773 in Qingdao, Shandong and $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin). That makes Qingdao, Shandong about 35% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Qingdao, Shandong, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Qingdao, Shandong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qingdao, Shandong – 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 Qingdao, Shandong. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.