Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhoushan and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhoushan: $620 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zhoushan
🇨🇳 China
$620
/mo nomad
Beijing (Pekin)
🇨🇳 China
$1,184
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $620 per month in Zhoushan vs $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

  • Zhoushan $620
  • Beijing (Pekin) $1,184

A couple spends around $1,005 per month in Zhoushan vs $1,916 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

  • Zhoushan $1,005
  • Beijing (Pekin) $1,916

A family of three spends $1,390 per month in Zhoushan vs $2,647 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

  • Zhoushan $1,390
  • Beijing (Pekin) $2,647

Zhoushan is about 48% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Zhoushan and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Zhoushan 54% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zhoushan
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.39 ¥22.63
$4.47 ¥29.86
-24.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.03 ¥127
$29.66 ¥198
-35.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.07 ¥27.24
$5.21 ¥34.80
-21.88%
Cappuccino
$2.95 ¥19.74
$3.72 ¥24.86
-20.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 ¥3.10
$0.50 ¥3.34
-8.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 ¥1.66
$0.26 ¥1.73
-3.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.77 ¥5.15
$1.17 ¥7.84
-34.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 ¥12.32
$1.66 ¥11.07
10.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zhoushan
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.83 ¥12.26
$1.65 ¥11.05
10.91%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 ¥13.87
$1.76 ¥11.74
17.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.89 ¥5.95
$1.27 ¥8.51
-29.92%
Eggs
$1.06 ¥7.07
$1.88 ¥12.55
-43.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.35 ¥89.2
$14.65 ¥98.0
-8.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.51 ¥23.45
$3.15 ¥21.03
11.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.96 ¥73.3
$11.03 ¥73.8
-0.63%
Apples (1kg)
$1.53 ¥10.26
$2.02 ¥13.53
-24.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 ¥8.17
$1.72 ¥11.47
-29.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 ¥9.72
$2.08 ¥13.94
-30.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.22 ¥8.13
$1.55 ¥10.35
-21.29%
Potato (1kg)
$0.58 ¥3.88
$0.72 ¥4.82
-19.44%
Onion (1kg)
$0.81 ¥5.42
$0.85 ¥5.68
-4.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ¥4.23
$0.69 ¥4.60
-8.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ¥3.90
$0.61 ¥4.10
-4.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 ¥35.45
$4.32 ¥28.88
22.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.80 ¥78.9
$14.10 ¥94.3
-16.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 ¥5.89
$1.01 ¥6.76
-12.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 ¥14.34
$1.82 ¥12.17
17.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Zhoushan
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 ¥2.10
$0.70 ¥4.67
-55.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.13 ¥101
$34.48 ¥231
-56.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.45 ¥9.71
$1.92 ¥12.84
-24.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 ¥2.81
$0.33 ¥2.19
27.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.91 ¥59.6
$7.67 ¥51.3
16.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 ¥8.13
$1.34 ¥8.93
-8.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4K ¥129.8K
$19.3K ¥128.9K
0.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.4K ¥109.7K
$18.3K ¥122.3K
-10.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zhoushan
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$36.17 ¥242
$57.3 ¥383
-36.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.52 ¥77.0
$9.13 ¥61.0
26.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.25 ¥182
$14.22 ¥95.1
91.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zhoushan
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.31 ¥169
$42.34 ¥283
-40.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.45 ¥49.79
$24.61 ¥165
-69.73%
Cinema Ticket
$5.85 ¥39.10
$7.40 ¥49.48
-20.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zhoushan
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$440 ¥2,942
$660 ¥4,410
-33.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K ¥108.7K
$24.2K ¥161.9K
-32.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zhoushan
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$34.64 ¥232
$69.8 ¥467
-50.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.10 ¥141
$39.69 ¥265
-46.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$65.4 ¥437
$88.9 ¥594
-26.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.10 ¥295
$127 ¥849
-65.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zhoushan
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$329 ¥2,197
$940 ¥6,286
-65.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$119 ¥797
$524 ¥3,501
-77.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$745 ¥4,979
$2,319 ¥15.5K
-67.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$273 ¥1,827
$1,128 ¥7,542
-75.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,953 ¥19.7K
$12.4K ¥82.8K
-76.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,009 ¥13.4K
$6,284 ¥42.0K
-68.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zhoushan
Beijing (Pekin)
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$589 ¥3,935
$1,713 ¥11.5K
-65.64%
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 Zhoushan: October 12, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Zhoushan
$209
Beijing (Pekin)
$227 8.3% $17
Accommodation & Living
Zhoushan
$119
Beijing (Pekin)
$524 339% $404
Eating Out
Zhoushan
$85
Beijing (Pekin)
$108 27.1% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zhoushan
$75
Beijing (Pekin)
$81 7.6% $5.7
Clothing & Footwear
Zhoushan
$74
Beijing (Pekin)
$146 96.9% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Zhoushan
$37
Beijing (Pekin)
$57 54.4% $20
Getting Around
Zhoushan
$20
Beijing (Pekin)
$41 105% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $329 in Zhoushan 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 191% 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 $19.00 in Zhoushan versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $227 – making Zhoushan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Zhoushan
🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)
🕒 Local time
12:16 12:16 PM
12:16 12:16 PM
Same time as Zhoushan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,157,817
21,893,095 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zhoushan Beijing (Pekin) 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Zhoushan
  • 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
Zhoushan vs Beijing (Pekin): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Beijing (Pekin) cheaper than Zhoushan?
Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 91%, 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 $930 per month in Zhoushan and $1,775 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 Zhoushan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Zhoushan or in Beijing (Pekin)?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Zhoushan and $30.00 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 Zhoushan and in Beijing (Pekin)?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $620 in Zhoushan and $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a gap of about 91%.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Zhoushan or in Beijing (Pekin)?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhoushan, where all-in costs run around $620, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Zhoushan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Zhoushan or Beijing (Pekin) more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Zhoushan – 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 Zhoushan. 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.

Zhoushan vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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