Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Xi'an and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Xi’an: $755 a month against $1,190 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Xi'an
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Xi'an Living Index
57

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

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Xi'an

🇨🇳 China

$755

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $755 per month in Xi’an vs $1,190 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Xi'an $755
Beijing (Pekin) $1,190

A couple spends around $1,173 per month in Xi’an vs $1,889 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Xi'an $1,173
Beijing (Pekin) $1,889

A family of three spends $1,592 per month in Xi’an vs $2,588 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Xi'an $1,592
Beijing (Pekin) $2,588

Xi’an is about 37% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.47

$4.54 ¥30.23

-35.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.34 ¥122

$29.58 ¥197

-38.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ¥30.32

$5.22 ¥34.77

-12.84%

Cappuccino

$2.10 ¥13.96

$3.73 ¥24.87

-43.70%

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

$0.42 ¥2.78

$0.53 ¥3.53

-20.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.29 ¥1.94

-6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.76

$1.17 ¥7.80

25.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ¥9.90

$1.70 ¥11.30

-12.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.72

$1.69 ¥11.28

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥11.53

$1.70 ¥11.29

1.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.77

$1.30 ¥8.67

-33.08%

Eggs

$1.47 ¥9.76

$1.99 ¥13.25

-26.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.43 ¥76.1

$14.82 ¥98.7

-22.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.46 ¥29.74

$3.29 ¥21.90

35.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥70.9

$10.93 ¥72.8

-2.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.83

$2.09 ¥13.94

-22.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.71

$1.71 ¥11.41

-32.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.58

$2.05 ¥13.65

-44.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.56 ¥10.38

-16.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.27

$0.74 ¥4.92

-13.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$0.84 ¥5.57

-5.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ¥4.65

$0.74 ¥4.91

-5.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.57 ¥3.82

-3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ¥23.07

$4.25 ¥28.33

-18.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 ¥74.1

$14.22 ¥94.7

-21.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥5.38

$0.98 ¥6.50

-17.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥11.61

$1.88 ¥12.55

-7.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.57 ¥3.82

-45.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.59 ¥164

$29.59 ¥197

-16.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.94 ¥12.89

-35.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.90

$0.33 ¥2.22

-12.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ¥23.65

$7.08 ¥47.18

-49.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.11

$1.37 ¥9.12

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$19.8K ¥132.0K

-3.11%

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

$17.5K ¥116.6K

$17.9K ¥119.2K

-2.21%

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

$88.4 ¥589

$59.7 ¥398

48.13%

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

$6.47 ¥43.13

$8.90 ¥59.3

-27.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.74 ¥71.5

$14.41 ¥96.0

-25.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.85 ¥199

$46.85 ¥312

-36.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.42 ¥143

$24.86 ¥166

-13.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.70 ¥38.00

$7.50 ¥49.98

-24.00%

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

$908 ¥6,045

$968 ¥6,447

-6.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ¥148.8K

$44.5K ¥296.7K

-49.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.32 ¥262

$72.2 ¥481

-45.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.62 ¥251

$40.00 ¥266

-5.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 ¥508

$89.3 ¥595

-14.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ¥725

$125 ¥830

-12.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 ¥1,932

$942 ¥6,277

-69.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 ¥1,250

$525 ¥3,496

-64.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 ¥4,761

$2,250 ¥15.0K

-68.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ¥2,404

$1,061 ¥7,069

-66.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,285 ¥15.2K

$12.2K ¥80.9K

-81.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,598 ¥10.6K

$6,534 ¥43.5K

-75.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,262 ¥8,403

$1,688 ¥11.2K

-25.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.12

7.37%

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

Last update for Xi'an: November 3, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Xi'an

$199 26.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$228 19.2% 14.9% $30

Accommodation & Living

Xi'an

$188 24.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$525 44.1% 180% $337

Clothing & Footwear

Xi'an

$118 15.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.3% 24.5% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Xi'an

$106 14%

Beijing (Pekin)

$83 7% 21.4% $23

Eating Out

Xi'an

$75 10%

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.2% 45.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Xi'an

$41 5.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2% 49.9% $21

Getting Around

Xi'an

$29 3.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$35 3% 24.4% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in Xi’an versus $942 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 34% 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 in Xi’an versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $228 – making Xi’an the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Xi'an

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

Same time as Xi'an

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,183,280

21,893,095 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Xi'an Beijing (Pekin) 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 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

Xi'an vs Beijing (Pekin): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,132 per month in Xi’an and $1,784 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Xi’an, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $942 in Beijing (Pekin).

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Xi’an 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 $755 in Xi’an and $1,190 in Beijing (Pekin). That makes Xi’an about 37% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Xi’an – 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 Xi’an. 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.