Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenyang and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenyang: $708 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Shenyang
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Shenyang Living Index
57

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

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Shenyang

🇨🇳 China

$708

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $708 per month in Shenyang vs $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Shenyang $708
Beijing (Pekin) $1,197

A couple spends around $1,046 per month in Shenyang vs $1,913 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Shenyang $1,046
Beijing (Pekin) $1,913

A family of three spends $1,384 per month in Shenyang vs $2,630 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Shenyang $1,384
Beijing (Pekin) $2,630

Shenyang is about 41% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenyang and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Shenyang 48% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 ¥19.75

$4.42 ¥29.39

-32.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥149

$29.66 ¥197

-24.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 ¥35.94

$5.37 ¥35.76

0.56%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ¥16.67

$3.73 ¥24.81

-32.98%

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

$0.47 ¥3.11

$0.56 ¥3.71

-16.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.57

$0.29 ¥1.94

34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ¥5.73

$1.19 ¥7.91

-27.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.55

$1.73 ¥11.55

9.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ¥13.33

$1.72 ¥11.43

16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 ¥15.82

$1.77 ¥11.80

34.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.19

$1.29 ¥8.62

-16.28%

Eggs

$1.07 ¥7.10

$1.91 ¥12.74

-43.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 ¥97.8

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.46

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 ¥79.4

$11.23 ¥74.7

6.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.92

$2.13 ¥14.15

-15.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.76

$1.79 ¥11.89

-34.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.62

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.77

$1.53 ¥10.19

-3.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.89

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$0.69 ¥4.60

-10.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ¥4.29

$0.61 ¥4.04

4.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.56

$4.44 ¥29.57

-16.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.70 ¥111

$14.00 ¥93.2

19.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ¥4.54

$1.03 ¥6.84

-33.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ¥7.53

$1.80 ¥12.01

-37.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.59 ¥3.89

-50.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.87 ¥99.0

$32.53 ¥216

-54.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 ¥9.16

$2.00 ¥13.33

-31.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.33 ¥2.19

-6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ¥20.34

$7.68 ¥51.1

-60.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.65

$1.30 ¥8.64

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

$19.4K ¥128.9K

$19.7K ¥131.4K

-1.86%

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

$17.5K ¥116.1K

$18.0K ¥119.8K

-3.06%

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

$76.2 ¥507

$58.8 ¥392

29.45%

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

$15.50 ¥103

$8.71 ¥58.0

77.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.86 ¥98.9

$14.51 ¥96.6

2.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.51 ¥150

$46.71 ¥311

-51.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.68 ¥71.1

$24.48 ¥163

-56.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 ¥39.10

$7.60 ¥50.6

-22.63%

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

$549 ¥3,655

$985 ¥6,556

-44.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ¥145.6K

$24.5K ¥163.2K

-10.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.33 ¥282

$72.1 ¥480

-41.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 ¥268

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 ¥405

$86.8 ¥577

-29.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.1 ¥467

$126 ¥839

-44.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$226 ¥1,501

$933 ¥6,209

-75.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 ¥1,516

$530 ¥3,524

-56.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ¥3,583

$2,279 ¥15.2K

-76.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 ¥2,290

$1,096 ¥7,293

-68.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,814 ¥12.1K

$11.8K ¥78.6K

-84.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,102 ¥7,333

$6,566 ¥43.7K

-83.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 ¥7,201

$1,707 ¥11.4K

-36.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

3.12

40.06%

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

Last update for Shenyang: October 27, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenyang

$228 32.2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2% 132% $302

Groceries & Markets

Shenyang

$161 * 22.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2% 42.9% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenyang

$107 15.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 23% $24

Eating Out

Shenyang

$81 11.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1% 33.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Shenyang

$78 * 11%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2% 87.6% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Shenyang

$34 4.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2% 80.7% $28

Getting Around

Shenyang

$19 2.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2% 103% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $226 in Shenyang 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 58% 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 in Shenyang versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $161 vs $230 – making Shenyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenyang

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

Same time as Shenyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,199,601

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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Shenyang Beijing (Pekin) 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Shenyang
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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

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,062 per month in Shenyang 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 Shenyang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Shenyang 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 $708 in Shenyang and $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin). That makes Shenyang about 41% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Shenyang, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Shenyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shenyang – 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 Shenyang. 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.