Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wuxi and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Wuxi: $758 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Wuxi, China
Beijing (Pekin), China
Wuxi
🇨🇳 China
$758
/mo nomad
Beijing (Pekin)
🇨🇳 China
$1,197
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $758 per month in Wuxi vs $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

  • Wuxi $758
  • Beijing (Pekin) $1,197

A couple spends around $1,199 per month in Wuxi vs $1,913 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

  • Wuxi $1,199
  • Beijing (Pekin) $1,913

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

  • Wuxi $1,639
  • Beijing (Pekin) $2,630

Wuxi is about 37% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Wuxi and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Wuxi 44% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wuxi
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.68 ¥24.49
$4.42 ¥29.34
-16.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.69 ¥157
$29.66 ¥197
-20.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.60 ¥30.60
$5.37 ¥35.71
-14.34%
Cappuccino
$3.13 ¥20.77
$3.73 ¥24.78
-16.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 ¥3.47
$0.56 ¥3.70
-7.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 ¥2.13
$0.29 ¥1.94
10.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.47 ¥9.75
$1.19 ¥7.90
23.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 ¥20.28
$1.73 ¥11.53
76.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wuxi
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.83 ¥12.14
$1.72 ¥11.41
6.40%
White Bread (500g)
$2.15 ¥14.26
$1.77 ¥11.78
21.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.10 ¥7.34
$1.29 ¥8.60
-14.73%
Eggs
$1.92 ¥12.73
$1.91 ¥12.72
0.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.83 ¥91.9
$14.70 ¥97.7
-5.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ¥22.16
$3.22 ¥21.43
3.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.43 ¥76.0
$11.23 ¥74.6
1.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.66 ¥17.68
$2.13 ¥14.13
24.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.31 ¥8.68
$1.79 ¥11.87
-26.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 ¥10.82
$2.05 ¥13.60
-20.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.17 ¥7.78
$1.53 ¥10.18
-23.53%
Potato (1kg)
$0.64 ¥4.26
$0.74 ¥4.89
-13.51%
Onion (1kg)
$0.80 ¥5.33
$0.92 ¥6.14
-13.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ¥4.19
$0.69 ¥4.59
-8.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ¥3.88
$0.61 ¥4.03
-4.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.29 ¥35.17
$4.44 ¥29.53
19.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.77 ¥78.2
$14.00 ¥93.1
-15.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 ¥6.16
$1.03 ¥6.83
-9.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ¥14.43
$1.80 ¥11.99
20.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Wuxi
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.43 ¥2.86
$0.59 ¥3.89
-27.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$18.44 ¥123
$32.53 ¥216
-43.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.53 ¥10.18
$2.00 ¥13.31
-23.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 ¥2.85
$0.33 ¥2.18
30.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.73 ¥58.0
$7.68 ¥51.1
13.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 ¥8.49
$1.30 ¥8.63
-1.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.5K ¥129.7K
$19.7K ¥131.2K
-1.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.8K ¥125.2K
$18.0K ¥119.6K
4.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wuxi
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$36.25 ¥241
$58.8 ¥391
-38.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.66 ¥77.5
$8.71 ¥57.9
33.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.85 ¥185
$14.51 ¥96.4
91.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wuxi
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.29 ¥314
$46.71 ¥310
1.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.25 ¥48.15
$24.48 ¥163
-70.38%
Cinema Ticket
$5.87 ¥39.04
$7.60 ¥50.5
-22.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wuxi
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$436 ¥2,897
$985 ¥6,546
-55.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K ¥107.5K
$24.5K ¥162.9K
-34.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wuxi
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$35.17 ¥234
$72.1 ¥479
-51.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.96 ¥146
$40.22 ¥267
-45.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$65.6 ¥436
$86.8 ¥577
-24.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.15 ¥293
$126 ¥838
-64.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wuxi
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$332 ¥2,204
$933 ¥6,200
-64.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$204 ¥1,353
$530 ¥3,519
-61.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$583 ¥3,871
$2,279 ¥15.1K
-74.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$385 ¥2,556
$1,096 ¥7,282
-64.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,637 ¥24.2K
$11.8K ¥78.5K
-69.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,969 ¥13.1K
$6,566 ¥43.6K
-70.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wuxi
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,059 ¥7,038
$1,707 ¥11.3K
-37.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.13
3.12
0.32%

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

Last update for Wuxi: October 26, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Wuxi
$223
Beijing (Pekin)
$230 2.8% $6.3
Accommodation & Living
Wuxi
$204
Beijing (Pekin)
$530 160% $326
Eating Out
Wuxi
$98
Beijing (Pekin)
$109 11.7% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wuxi
$76
Beijing (Pekin)
$82 8.3% $6.3
Clothing & Footwear
Wuxi
$75
Beijing (Pekin)
$146 94.8% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Wuxi
$59
Beijing (Pekin)
$62 4.9% $2.9
Getting Around
Wuxi
$24
Beijing (Pekin)
$39 61.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $332 in Wuxi 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 61% higher in Beijing (Pekin). Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Wuxi versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $230 – making Wuxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Wuxi
🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)
🕒 Local time
16:00 4:00 PM
16:00 4:00 PM
Same time as Wuxi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,462,135
21,893,095 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Wuxi Beijing (Pekin) 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Wuxi
  • 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
Wuxi vs Beijing (Pekin): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wuxi cheaper than Beijing (Pekin)?
Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,137 per month in Wuxi and $1,796 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Wuxi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $332 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).
Is eating out cheaper in Wuxi or in Beijing (Pekin)?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Wuxi and $30 in Beijing (Pekin). That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Wuxi and in Beijing (Pekin)?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $758 in Wuxi and $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin). That makes Wuxi about 37% cheaper.
Is Wuxi or Beijing (Pekin) more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Wuxi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Wuxi. 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.

Wuxi vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?