Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: $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.

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Cost of Living Index in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
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Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu Living Index
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Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index

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Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🇨🇳 China

$708

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $708
Beijing (Pekin) $1,197

A couple spends around $1,174 per month in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu vs $1,913 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,174
Beijing (Pekin) $1,913

A family of three spends $1,639 per month in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu vs $2,630 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,639
Beijing (Pekin) $2,630

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu is about 41% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 ¥24.68

$4.42 ¥29.39

-16.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.88 ¥172

$29.66 ¥197

-12.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ¥31.18

$5.37 ¥35.77

-12.85%

Cappuccino

$3.18 ¥21.17

$3.73 ¥24.82

-14.75%

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

$0.44 ¥2.93

$0.56 ¥3.71

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.29 ¥1.94

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.84

$1.19 ¥7.92

-26.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ¥9.90

$1.73 ¥11.55

-13.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.11

$1.72 ¥11.43

5.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ¥7.90

$1.77 ¥11.80

-32.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.80

$1.29 ¥8.62

-32.56%

Eggs

$1.99 ¥13.24

$1.91 ¥12.74

4.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.03 ¥127

$14.70 ¥97.8

29.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 ¥25.17

$3.22 ¥21.47

17.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.11 ¥40.66

$11.23 ¥74.7

-45.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 ¥15.18

$2.13 ¥14.15

7.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 ¥9.31

$1.79 ¥11.89

-21.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.88

$2.05 ¥13.63

-27.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 ¥8.81

$1.53 ¥10.19

-13.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.74 ¥4.89

24.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.29

$0.92 ¥6.15

2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.44

$0.69 ¥4.60

-2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.86

$0.61 ¥4.04

-4.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 ¥24.52

$4.44 ¥29.58

-17.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 ¥88.5

$14.00 ¥93.2

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.43

$1.03 ¥6.84

-20.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ¥10.15

$1.80 ¥12.01

-15.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.59 ¥3.90

-50.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.68 ¥111

$32.53 ¥217

-48.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ¥13.05

$2.00 ¥13.33

-2.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.33 ¥2.19

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.05 ¥46.91

$7.68 ¥51.1

-8.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.20

$1.30 ¥8.64

-5.38%

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

$17.6K ¥117.4K

$19.7K ¥131.4K

-10.64%

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

$18.1K ¥120.8K

$18.0K ¥119.8K

0.80%

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

$18.87 ¥126

$58.8 ¥392

-67.93%

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

$10.02 ¥66.7

$8.71 ¥58.0

15.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.05 ¥73.5

$14.51 ¥96.6

-23.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.0 ¥393

$46.71 ¥311

26.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.56 ¥104

$24.48 ¥163

-36.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 ¥49.65

$7.60 ¥50.6

-1.84%

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

$299 ¥1,991

$985 ¥6,557

-69.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥118.1K

$24.5K ¥163.2K

-27.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.39 ¥302

$72.1 ¥480

-37.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.76 ¥278

$40.22 ¥268

3.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.8 ¥398

$86.8 ¥578

-31.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.6 ¥397

$126 ¥839

-52.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$260 ¥1,728

$933 ¥6,210

-72.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 ¥1,141

$530 ¥3,524

-67.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 ¥4,017

$2,279 ¥15.2K

-73.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 ¥2,457

$1,096 ¥7,294

-66.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,998 ¥20.0K

$11.8K ¥78.6K

-74.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,945 ¥12.9K

$6,566 ¥43.7K

-70.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.12

12.18%

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

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: October 25, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$216 30.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2% 6.3% $14

Accommodation & Living

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$172 24.2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2% 209% $358

Clothing & Footwear

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$93 13.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2% 57.4% $53

Eating Out

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$92 13%

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1% 18.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$74 10.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2% 16.2% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$40 5.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 106% $42

Getting Around

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$22 3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2% 78.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $260 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $230 – making Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

Same time as Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

831,113

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

On the map

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Between locations

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu Beijing (Pekin) 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
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

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,063 per month in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $260 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin). That’s a gap of about 69%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 69% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.