Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Urumqi and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Urumqi: $605 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Urumqi
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Urumqi Living Index
58

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

Jump to prices

Urumqi

🇨🇳 China

$605

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $605 per month in Urumqi vs $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Urumqi $605
Beijing (Pekin) $1,185

A couple spends around $960 per month in Urumqi vs $1,917 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Urumqi $960
Beijing (Pekin) $1,917

A family of three spends $1,316 per month in Urumqi vs $2,648 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Urumqi $1,316
Beijing (Pekin) $2,648

Urumqi is about 49% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Urumqi and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Urumqi 55% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.29 ¥21.98

$4.53 ¥30.31

-27.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.16 ¥121

$30.16 ¥202

-39.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.30

$5.36 ¥35.83

-1.49%

Cappuccino

$2.87 ¥19.19

$3.57 ¥23.84

-19.61%

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

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.51 ¥3.39

-9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ¥1.59

$0.28 ¥1.89

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ¥7.63

$1.19 ¥7.94

-4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ¥11.83

$1.71 ¥11.43

3.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.26

$1.74 ¥11.66

-28.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$1.77 ¥11.82

-47.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$1.29 ¥8.61

-51.94%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.28

$1.95 ¥13.01

-21.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.13 ¥40.96

$14.29 ¥95.5

-57.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.49 ¥16.63

$3.31 ¥22.13

-24.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.61 ¥64.3

$11.11 ¥74.3

-13.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ¥13.62

$2.12 ¥14.18

-3.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$1.73 ¥11.56

-28.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.43

$2.09 ¥13.98

-11.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.11

$1.54 ¥10.30

-50.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 ¥3.61

$0.69 ¥4.64

-21.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$0.91 ¥6.09

-31.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 ¥3.33

$0.75 ¥5.04

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ¥3.00

$0.61 ¥4.06

-26.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ¥19.57

$4.27 ¥28.52

-31.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.51 ¥70.3

$13.90 ¥93.0

-24.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ¥7.30

$1.02 ¥6.80

6.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ¥9.84

$1.81 ¥12.09

-18.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.69 ¥4.65

-57.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.08 ¥121

$34.82 ¥233

-48.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.81

$1.90 ¥12.73

-22.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.35 ¥2.36

-17.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.30 ¥48.80

$7.28 ¥48.68

0.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.33 ¥8.87

-7.52%

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

$17.9K ¥119.5K

$19.6K ¥131.3K

-9.01%

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

$13.9K ¥93.2K

$18.0K ¥120.6K

-22.75%

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

$66.5 ¥444

$59.1 ¥395

12.51%

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

$5.43 ¥36.33

$8.77 ¥58.7

-38.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.29 ¥75.5

$14.22 ¥95.1

-20.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.12 ¥148

$41.06 ¥275

-46.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.40 ¥62.8

$24.89 ¥166

-62.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 ¥38.90

$7.44 ¥49.74

-21.77%

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

$161 ¥1,078

$654 ¥4,375

-75.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,005 ¥60.2K

$24.0K ¥160.5K

-62.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 ¥351

$71.2 ¥476

-26.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.05 ¥147

$40.02 ¥268

-44.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 ¥712

$88.2 ¥590

20.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.33 ¥296

$127 ¥846

-64.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 ¥1,748

$945 ¥6,317

-72.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 ¥784

$523 ¥3,499

-77.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 ¥2,708

$2,362 ¥15.8K

-82.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 ¥1,678

$1,122 ¥7,500

-77.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,834 ¥12.3K

$12.3K ¥82.0K

-85.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,159 ¥7,748

$6,446 ¥43.1K

-82.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,114 ¥7,449

$1,715 ¥11.5K

-35.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.12

8.65%

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

Last update for Urumqi: 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

Urumqi

$158 26.2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3% 44.3% $70

Accommodation & Living

Urumqi

$117 19.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2% 347% $406

Clothing & Footwear

Urumqi

$101 16.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4% 44.6% $45

Eating Out

Urumqi

$89 14.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1% 21.5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Urumqi

$83 13.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 1.3% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Urumqi

$34 5.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7% 65.7% $22

Getting Around

Urumqi

$22 3.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5% 86.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Urumqi versus $945 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 54% 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 $18.00 in Urumqi versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $158 vs $229 – making Urumqi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Urumqi

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

17:11 5:11 PM

19:11 7:11 PM

2 h ahead of Urumqi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,054,369

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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Urumqi Beijing (Pekin) 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $907 per month in Urumqi and $1,778 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Urumqi, 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 $18.00 in Urumqi 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 $605 in Urumqi and $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a gap of about 96%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Urumqi, where all-in costs run around $605, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Urumqi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Urumqi – 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 Urumqi. 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.