Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiyuan and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Taiyuan: $589 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Taiyuan
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Taiyuan Living Index
58

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

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Taiyuan

🇨🇳 China

$589

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $589 per month in Taiyuan vs $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Taiyuan $589
Beijing (Pekin) $1,184

A couple spends around $913 per month in Taiyuan vs $1,916 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Taiyuan $913
Beijing (Pekin) $1,916

A family of three spends $1,238 per month in Taiyuan vs $2,647 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Taiyuan $1,238
Beijing (Pekin) $2,647

Taiyuan is about 50% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Taiyuan and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Taiyuan 56% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ¥15.21

$4.47 ¥29.81

-48.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.73 ¥98.4

$29.66 ¥198

-50.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 ¥29.37

$5.21 ¥34.75

-15.55%

Cappuccino

$2.64 ¥17.60

$3.72 ¥24.82

-29.03%

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

$0.47 ¥3.11

$0.50 ¥3.34

-6.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.26 ¥1.73

11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.12

$1.17 ¥7.83

4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.36

$1.66 ¥11.06

29.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.03

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.73

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$1.27 ¥8.50

-34.65%

Eggs

$1.01 ¥6.75

$1.88 ¥12.53

-46.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥97.8

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.00

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 ¥86.9

$11.03 ¥73.7

18.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.50

$2.02 ¥13.51

-7.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.20

$1.72 ¥11.45

-19.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.40

$2.08 ¥13.92

-61.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.76

$1.55 ¥10.34

-25.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 ¥3.20

$0.72 ¥4.82

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.85 ¥5.67

-65.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ¥3.07

$0.61 ¥4.09

-24.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ¥19.72

$4.32 ¥28.83

-31.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.56 ¥50.5

$14.10 ¥94.1

-46.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.80

$1.01 ¥6.75

-13.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.82 ¥12.15

-20.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.70 ¥4.67

-55.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.65 ¥91.1

$34.48 ¥230

-60.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ¥7.89

$1.92 ¥12.82

-38.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ¥1.53

$0.33 ¥2.18

-30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 ¥24.88

$7.67 ¥51.2

-51.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.32

$1.34 ¥8.92

-6.72%

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

$20.0K ¥133.4K

$19.3K ¥128.7K

3.63%

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

$17.5K ¥117.1K

$18.3K ¥122.2K

-4.15%

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

$94.3 ¥630

$57.3 ¥383

64.55%

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

$10.27 ¥68.6

$9.13 ¥60.9

12.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.74 ¥85.1

$14.22 ¥94.9

-10.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.17 ¥302

$42.34 ¥283

6.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.76 ¥58.5

$24.61 ¥164

-64.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 ¥44.31

$7.40 ¥49.41

-10.27%

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

$660 ¥4,403

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.60 ¥184

$69.8 ¥466

-60.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.2 ¥449

$39.69 ¥265

69.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 ¥494

$88.9 ¥593

-16.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 ¥397

$127 ¥847

-53.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 ¥1,488

$940 ¥6,277

-76.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 ¥759

$524 ¥3,496

-78.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 ¥3,714

$2,319 ¥15.5K

-76.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 ¥1,730

$1,128 ¥7,531

-77.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,629 ¥17.6K

$12.4K ¥82.6K

-78.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,252 ¥8,356

$6,284 ¥42.0K

-80.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$928 ¥6,194

$1,713 ¥11.4K

-45.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.12

22.76%

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

Last update for Taiyuan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taiyuan

$117 19.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8% 31.3% $37

Accommodation & Living

Taiyuan

$114 19.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2% 361% $410

Groceries & Markets

Taiyuan

$103 * 17.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2% 120% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Taiyuan

$103 17.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4% 42.6% $44

Eating Out

Taiyuan

$76 13%

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1% 41.5% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Taiyuan

$58 9.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8% 2.2% $1.3

Getting Around

Taiyuan

$17 2.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5% 137% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Taiyuan 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 85% 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 $15.00 in Taiyuan versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $103 vs $227 – making Taiyuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Taiyuan

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

20:35 8:35 PM

Same time as Taiyuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,525,300

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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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

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 101%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $883 per month in Taiyuan 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 Taiyuan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 153% less in Taiyuan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 120% more in Beijing (Pekin), though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taiyuan, where all-in costs run around $589, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Taiyuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taiyuan – 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 Taiyuan. 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.