Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhuhai and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhuhai: $784 a month against $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Zhuhai
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Zhuhai Living Index
57

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

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Zhuhai

🇨🇳 China

$784

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $784 per month in Zhuhai vs $1,197 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Zhuhai $784
Beijing (Pekin) $1,197

A couple spends around $1,305 per month in Zhuhai vs $1,913 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Zhuhai $1,305
Beijing (Pekin) $1,913

A family of three spends $1,825 per month in Zhuhai vs $2,630 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Zhuhai $1,825
Beijing (Pekin) $2,630

Zhuhai is about 34% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zhuhai and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Zhuhai 42% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.64 ¥17.58

$4.42 ¥29.37

-40.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.28 ¥201

$29.66 ¥197

2.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 ¥34.70

$5.37 ¥35.74

-2.79%

Cappuccino

$3.15 ¥20.94

$3.73 ¥24.80

-15.55%

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

$0.50 ¥3.33

$0.56 ¥3.70

-10.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.17

$0.29 ¥1.94

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.80

$1.19 ¥7.91

-1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥14.97

$1.73 ¥11.54

30.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥10.63

$1.72 ¥11.42

-6.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥8.66

$1.77 ¥11.79

-26.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.52

$1.29 ¥8.61

-12.40%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.22

$1.91 ¥12.73

-11.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 ¥28.78

$14.70 ¥97.8

-70.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.21 ¥14.69

$3.22 ¥21.45

-31.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.79 ¥25.20

$11.23 ¥74.7

-66.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.36

$2.13 ¥14.14

-40.85%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.09

$1.79 ¥11.88

-65.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.44 ¥2.91

$2.05 ¥13.62

-78.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$1.53 ¥10.19

-2.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.87

$0.74 ¥4.89

-1.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ¥3.11

$0.92 ¥6.14

-48.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 ¥1.90

$0.69 ¥4.59

-57.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.89

$0.61 ¥4.04

-29.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 ¥20.48

$4.44 ¥29.56

-30.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.71 ¥24.65

$14.00 ¥93.2

-73.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.91

$1.03 ¥6.84

-42.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.51

$1.80 ¥12.00

-3.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 ¥0.88

$0.59 ¥3.89

-77.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.75 ¥58.2

$32.53 ¥216

-73.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.69

$2.00 ¥13.32

-27.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.51

$0.33 ¥2.19

15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.32 ¥48.66

$7.68 ¥51.1

-4.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.53

$1.30 ¥8.63

-1.54%

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

$15.6K ¥103.9K

$19.7K ¥131.3K

-20.83%

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

$13.6K ¥90.1K

$18.0K ¥119.7K

-24.72%

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

$57.5 ¥382

$58.8 ¥391

-2.36%

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

$10.13 ¥67.4

$8.71 ¥58.0

16.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.37 ¥109

$14.51 ¥96.5

12.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.9 ¥538

$46.71 ¥311

73.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 ¥205

$24.48 ¥163

26.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 ¥50.0

$7.60 ¥50.6

-1.05%

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

$540 ¥3,592

$985 ¥6,553

-45.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.2K

$24.5K ¥163.1K

0.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.85 ¥199

$72.1 ¥479

-58.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 ¥263

$40.22 ¥267

-1.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ¥481

$86.8 ¥577

-16.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 ¥612

$126 ¥839

-27.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 ¥2,826

$933 ¥6,206

-54.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,864

$530 ¥3,522

-47.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 ¥6,034

$2,279 ¥15.2K

-60.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 ¥4,331

$1,096 ¥7,289

-40.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,496 ¥29.9K

$11.8K ¥78.5K

-61.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,836 ¥18.9K

$6,566 ¥43.7K

-56.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ¥7,213

$1,707 ¥11.4K

-36.48%

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 Zhuhai: October 24, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zhuhai

$280 35.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$530 44.2% 88.9% $249

Groceries & Markets

Zhuhai

$118 15.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$230 19.2% 94.5% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Zhuhai

$105 13.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.2% 39.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Zhuhai

$96 12.2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$62 5.2% 35.5% $34

Eating Out

Zhuhai

$88 11.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$109 9.1% 23.5% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhuhai

$84 10.7%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 2.3% $1.9

Getting Around

Zhuhai

$13 1.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$39 3.2% 205% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Zhuhai 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 57% higher in Beijing (Pekin). Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Zhuhai versus $30 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $118 vs $230 – making Zhuhai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhuhai

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

19:55 7:55 PM

Same time as Zhuhai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,207,090

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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Zhuhai Beijing (Pekin) 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,176 per month in Zhuhai and $1,796 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhuhai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

Public transport costs about 73% less in Zhuhai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 94% more in Beijing (Pekin), though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Zhuhai – 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 Zhuhai. 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.