Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanya and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanya: $776 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Sanya
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Sanya Living Index
58

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

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Sanya

🇨🇳 China

$776

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $761 per month in Sanya vs $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Sanya $761
Beijing (Pekin) $1,184

A couple spends around $1,235 per month in Sanya vs $1,916 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Sanya $1,235
Beijing (Pekin) $1,916

A family of three spends $1,708 per month in Sanya vs $2,647 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Sanya $1,708
Beijing (Pekin) $2,647

Sanya is about 36% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 ¥22.29

$4.53 ¥30.31

-26.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.31 ¥149

$30.16 ¥202

-26.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 ¥41.37

$5.36 ¥35.83

15.49%

Cappuccino

$2.15 ¥14.37

$3.57 ¥23.84

-39.78%

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

$0.53 ¥3.56

$0.51 ¥3.39

3.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.28 ¥1.89

53.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.19 ¥7.94

10.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥11.61

$1.71 ¥11.43

1.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ¥14.33

$1.74 ¥11.66

22.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ¥9.12

$1.77 ¥11.82

-23.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.22

$1.29 ¥8.61

18.60%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.21

$1.95 ¥13.01

-13.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.02 ¥154

$14.29 ¥95.5

61.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 ¥30.59

$3.31 ¥22.13

38.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 ¥76.6

$11.11 ¥74.3

3.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 ¥15.17

$2.12 ¥14.18

7.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.24

$1.73 ¥11.56

-11.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 ¥16.44

$2.09 ¥13.98

17.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ¥13.31

$1.54 ¥10.30

29.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$0.69 ¥4.64

31.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.87

$0.91 ¥6.09

-19.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.75 ¥5.04

-26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.61 ¥4.06

-3.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 ¥24.42

$4.27 ¥28.52

-14.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$13.90 ¥93.0

-44.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.83

$1.02 ¥6.80

-14.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.69

$1.81 ¥12.09

-11.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.05

$0.69 ¥4.65

-55.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.12 ¥121

$34.82 ¥233

-47.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.76

$1.90 ¥12.73

-23.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.32

$0.35 ¥2.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.51 ¥50.2

$7.28 ¥48.68

3.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.33 ¥8.87

-6.02%

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

$22.0K ¥147.2K

$19.6K ¥131.3K

12.16%

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

$17.2K ¥114.9K

$18.0K ¥120.6K

-4.70%

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

$56.0 ¥374

$59.1 ¥395

-5.18%

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

$6.60 ¥44.16

$8.77 ¥58.7

-24.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.41 ¥29.52

$14.22 ¥95.1

-68.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.87 ¥273

$41.06 ¥275

-0.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.90 ¥99.6

$24.89 ¥166

-40.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 ¥41.80

$7.44 ¥49.74

-15.99%

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

$403 ¥2,695

$654 ¥4,375

-38.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ¥113.9K

$24.0K ¥160.5K

-29.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.83 ¥293

$71.2 ¥476

-38.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.64 ¥225

$40.02 ¥268

-15.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 ¥492

$88.2 ¥590

-16.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 ¥574

$127 ¥846

-32.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 ¥1,994

$945 ¥6,317

-68.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ¥1,276

$523 ¥3,499

-63.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ¥4,173

$2,362 ¥15.8K

-73.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 ¥2,547

$1,122 ¥7,500

-66.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 ¥22.7K

$12.3K ¥82.0K

-72.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,946 ¥13.0K

$6,446 ¥43.1K

-69.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$903 ¥6,038

$1,715 ¥11.5K

-47.35%

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 Sanya: October 18, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sanya

$251 32.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3% 8.9% $22

Accommodation & Living

Sanya

$191 24.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2% 174% $333

Clothing & Footwear

Sanya

$107 13.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4% 37.6% $40

Eating Out

Sanya

$85 10.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1% 26.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sanya

$67 8.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 22.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Sanya

$53 6.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7% 4.8% $2.6

Getting Around

Sanya

$23 2.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5% 83.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $304 in Sanya 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 91% 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 $22.00 in Sanya versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Sanya vs $227 in Beijing (Pekin) – so Beijing (Pekin) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Sanya

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

Same time as Sanya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,031,396

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

Sanya Beijing (Pekin) 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sanya
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

Sanya 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 clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,142 per month in Sanya 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 Sanya, 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 $22.00 in Sanya 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 $761 in Sanya and $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a gap of about 55%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sanya, where all-in costs run around $761, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Sanya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sanya – 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 Sanya. 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.