Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shijiazhuang and Muzaffarabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Muzaffarabad: $387 a month against $678 in Shijiazhuang, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Shijiazhuang
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Shijiazhuang Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Muzaffarabad
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Muzaffarabad Living Index

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Shijiazhuang

🇨🇳 China

$678

/mo nomad

Muzaffarabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shijiazhuang and in Muzaffarabad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shijiazhuang and in Muzaffarabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $678 per month in Shijiazhuang vs $387 in Muzaffarabad, rent included.

Shijiazhuang $678
Muzaffarabad $387

A couple spends around $1,015 per month in Shijiazhuang vs $560 in Muzaffarabad, rent included.

Shijiazhuang $1,015
Muzaffarabad $560

A family of three spends $1,353 per month in Shijiazhuang vs $733 in Muzaffarabad, rent included.

Shijiazhuang $1,353
Muzaffarabad $733

Shijiazhuang costs about 75% more than Muzaffarabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shijiazhuang and Muzaffarabad are more affordable than the global median – Shijiazhuang 50% lower, Muzaffarabad 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.78 ¥11.89

$1.47 PKR 408

21.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ¥126

$9.27 PKR 2,565

102.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 ¥36.50

$2.16 PKR 597

152.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 PKR 406

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 PKR 807

Cappuccino

$3.22 ¥21.50

$1.09 PKR 302

195.41%

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

$0.47 ¥3.14

$0.38 PKR 105

23.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.82

$0.21 PKR 56.9

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 ¥5.34

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.35

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.86

$0.95 PKR 263

38.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$0.68 PKR 188

67.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.65

$0.95 PKR 262

-26.32%

Eggs

$1.23 ¥8.25

$0.87 PKR 241

41.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.09 ¥108

$3.58 PKR 990

349.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ¥18.45

$2.51 PKR 694

9.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ¥63.0

$3.29 PKR 910

186.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.90

$1.10 PKR 305

48.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.26

$0.55 PKR 153

125.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.18

$0.35 PKR 96.8

120.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.15

$0.37 PKR 104

229.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.34 PKR 95.4

73.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$0.28 PKR 76.9

107.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.23

$0.41 PKR 114

53.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ¥3.09

$0.25 PKR 68.5

84.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.41 PKR 390

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 PKR 190

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 PKR 209

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 ¥25.46

$0.93 PKR 257

309.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.68 ¥24.63

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥4.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥4.87

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.21 PKR 56.9

47.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.78 ¥119

$9.08 PKR 2,512

95.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ¥7.80

$1.05 PKR 290

11.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.34

$0.74 PKR 204

-52.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ¥23.36

$1.46 PKR 405

139.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.29

$0.98 PKR 272

26.53%

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

$19.7K ¥131.8K

$22.4K PKR 6.2M

-11.98%

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

$17.0K ¥113.8K

$26.2K PKR 7.3M

-35.13%

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

$93.9 ¥628

$118 PKR 32.8K

-20.72%

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

$4.40 ¥29.45

$5.36 PKR 1,483

-17.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.63 ¥44.34

$8.87 PKR 2,456

-25.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.96 ¥93.4

$14.56 PKR 4,029

-4.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$7.25 PKR 2,006

103.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 ¥36.92

$2.03 PKR 562

171.92%

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

$377 ¥2,519

$46.57 PKR 12.9K

708.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,226 ¥34.9K

$987 PKR 273.3K

429.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.51 ¥331

$5.36 PKR 1,484

823.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.52 ¥177

$8.87 PKR 2,455

198.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 ¥505

$50.3 PKR 13.9K

50.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.8 ¥366

$10.75 PKR 2,976

409.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$302 ¥2,019

$129 PKR 35.6K

134.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ¥1,222

$78.6 PKR 21.7K

132.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ¥2,729

$251 PKR 69.5K

62.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ¥1,847

$152 PKR 42.0K

82.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,499 ¥16.7K

$935 PKR 258.9K

167.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,670 ¥11.2K

$474 PKR 131.3K

251.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$801 ¥5,356

$292 PKR 80.9K

174.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

-77.93%

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

Last update for Shijiazhuang: October 11, 2026

Last update for Muzaffarabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shijiazhuang

$183 27%

Muzaffarabad

$79 20.3% 57% $104

Groceries & Markets

Shijiazhuang

$171 25.2%

Muzaffarabad

$75 19.4% 56.1% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shijiazhuang

$105 15.5%

Muzaffarabad

$133 34.3% 26.4% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Shijiazhuang

$93 13.7%

Muzaffarabad

$34 8.8% 63.5% $59

Eating Out

Shijiazhuang

$80 11.7%

Muzaffarabad

$34 8.7% 57.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Shijiazhuang

$25 3.7%

Muzaffarabad

$19 4.8% 25.5% $6.4

Getting Around

Shijiazhuang

$22 3.2%

Muzaffarabad

$15 3.8% 33.3% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $302 in Shijiazhuang versus $129 in Muzaffarabad. 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 174% higher in Shijiazhuang, 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 $19.00 in Shijiazhuang versus $9.00 in Muzaffarabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $75.0 – making Muzaffarabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shijiazhuang

🇵🇰 Muzaffarabad

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

14:16 2:16 PM

3 h behind Shijiazhuang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,235,086

149,913

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shijiazhuang Muzaffarabad 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Shijiazhuang
Muzaffarabad

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

Shijiazhuang vs Muzaffarabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shijiazhuang is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,017 per month in Shijiazhuang and $581 in Muzaffarabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Muzaffarabad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 128% more in Shijiazhuang, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Shijiazhuang and $9.00 in Muzaffarabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $678 in Shijiazhuang and $387 in Muzaffarabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Muzaffarabad – 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 Muzaffarabad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shijiazhuang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.