Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zaozhuang and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaozhuang: $667 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zaozhuang, China
Beijing (Pekin), China
Zaozhuang
🇨🇳 China
$667
/mo nomad
Beijing (Pekin)
🇨🇳 China
$1,197
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $667 per month in Zaozhuang vs $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

  • Zaozhuang $667
  • Beijing (Pekin) $1,197

A couple spends around $1,022 per month in Zaozhuang vs $1,913 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

  • Zaozhuang $1,022
  • Beijing (Pekin) $1,913

A family of three spends $1,378 per month in Zaozhuang vs $2,630 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

  • Zaozhuang $1,378
  • Beijing (Pekin) $2,630

Zaozhuang is about 44% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zaozhuang and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Zaozhuang 51% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zaozhuang
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.82 ¥12.14
$4.42 ¥29.39
-58.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.81 ¥78.6
$29.66 ¥197
-60.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.26 ¥15.04
$5.37 ¥35.76
-57.91%
Cappuccino
$1.47 ¥9.80
$3.73 ¥24.81
-60.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 ¥2.58
$0.56 ¥3.71
-30.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.15 ¥0.97
$0.29 ¥1.94
-48.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.91 ¥6.07
$1.19 ¥7.91
-23.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ¥11.81
$1.73 ¥11.55
2.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zaozhuang
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 ¥9.63
$1.72 ¥11.43
-15.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.42 ¥9.44
$1.77 ¥11.80
-19.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.23 ¥8.15
$1.29 ¥8.62
-4.65%
Eggs
$1.06 ¥7.07
$1.91 ¥12.74
-44.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.74 ¥78.2
$14.70 ¥97.8
-20.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.29 ¥21.90
$3.22 ¥21.46
2.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ¥74.3
$11.23 ¥74.7
-0.62%
Apples (1kg)
$1.47 ¥9.76
$2.13 ¥14.15
-30.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.03 ¥6.83
$1.79 ¥11.89
-42.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.36 ¥9.07
$2.05 ¥13.62
-33.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.09 ¥7.24
$1.53 ¥10.19
-28.76%
Potato (1kg)
$0.59 ¥3.92
$0.74 ¥4.89
-20.27%
Onion (1kg)
$0.70 ¥4.65
$0.92 ¥6.15
-23.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.57 ¥3.80
$0.69 ¥4.60
-17.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 ¥4.09
$0.61 ¥4.04
1.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.65 ¥24.27
$4.44 ¥29.57
-17.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.84 ¥65.5
$14.00 ¥93.2
-29.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 ¥4.72
$1.03 ¥6.84
-31.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 ¥9.05
$1.80 ¥12.01
-24.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Zaozhuang
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.28 ¥1.83
$0.59 ¥3.89
-52.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.73 ¥105
$32.53 ¥216
-51.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.61 ¥10.72
$2.00 ¥13.33
-19.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.25 ¥1.65
$0.33 ¥2.19
-24.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.48 ¥29.81
$7.68 ¥51.1
-41.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 ¥8.67
$1.30 ¥8.64
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K ¥131.0K
$19.7K ¥131.4K
-0.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.3K ¥101.7K
$18.0K ¥119.8K
-15.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zaozhuang
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$74.1 ¥493
$58.8 ¥392
25.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.84 ¥45.51
$8.71 ¥58.0
-21.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$5.08 ¥33.83
$14.51 ¥96.6
-64.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zaozhuang
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.72 ¥291
$46.71 ¥311
-6.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.67 ¥104
$24.48 ¥163
-35.99%
Cinema Ticket
$5.33 ¥35.47
$7.60 ¥50.6
-29.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zaozhuang
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$215 ¥1,430
$985 ¥6,556
-78.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.7K ¥130.9K
$24.5K ¥163.2K
-19.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zaozhuang
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.72 ¥224
$72.1 ¥480
-53.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.01 ¥280
$40.22 ¥268
4.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.4 ¥482
$86.8 ¥577
-16.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.2 ¥474
$126 ¥839
-43.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zaozhuang
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$321 ¥2,135
$933 ¥6,209
-65.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$172 ¥1,146
$530 ¥3,524
-67.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$630 ¥4,192
$2,279 ¥15.2K
-72.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$318 ¥2,113
$1,096 ¥7,293
-71.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,866 ¥19.1K
$11.8K ¥78.6K
-75.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,665 ¥11.1K
$6,566 ¥43.7K
-74.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zaozhuang
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,707 ¥11.4K
-
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 Zaozhuang: 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
Zaozhuang
$186
Beijing (Pekin)
$230 23.4% $44
Accommodation & Living
Zaozhuang
$172
Beijing (Pekin)
$530 207% $357
Clothing & Footwear
Zaozhuang
$99
Beijing (Pekin)
$146 48.2% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zaozhuang
$86
Beijing (Pekin)
$82 4.6% $3.9
Sport & Entertainment
Zaozhuang
$54
Beijing (Pekin)
$62 13.8% $7.5
Eating Out
Zaozhuang
$49
Beijing (Pekin)
$109 121% $60
Getting Around
Zaozhuang
$20
Beijing (Pekin)
$39 95.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $321 in Zaozhuang 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 $12 in Zaozhuang versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $230 – making Zaozhuang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Zaozhuang
🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)
🕒 Local time
04:36 4:36 AM
04:36 4:36 AM
Same time as Zaozhuang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,125,000
21,893,095 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zaozhuang Beijing (Pekin) 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Zaozhuang
  • 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
Zaozhuang vs Beijing (Pekin): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zaozhuang cheaper than Beijing (Pekin)?
Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 80%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,000 per month in Zaozhuang 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 Zaozhuang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $321 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).
Is eating out cheaper in Zaozhuang or in Beijing (Pekin)?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Zaozhuang 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 Zaozhuang and in Beijing (Pekin)?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $667 in Zaozhuang and $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin). That makes Zaozhuang about 44% cheaper.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Zaozhuang or in Beijing (Pekin)?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Zaozhuang, where all-in costs run around $667, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,197. In Zaozhuang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Zaozhuang or Beijing (Pekin) more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Zaozhuang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Zaozhuang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 44% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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