🇨🇳 China · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Beijing? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
What things cost
One-bed flat, central (Dongcheng, Xicheng, inner Chaoyang)CNY 6,500–11,000 / month
One-bed flat, Haidian or outer ChaoyangCNY 4,000–7,500 / month
Utilities, heating levy, mobile and broadbandCNY 400–900 / month, higher through the winter heating season
Groceries and eating locally, one personCNY 2,000–3,200 / month
Metro travel, daily commutingCNY 150–300 / month — fares are distance-based
Good to know
Population
≈21.8 million in the municipality, spread across an area larger than many countries
Languages
Mandarin, in the standard-setting Beijing accent with heavy 'r' colouring. English is common in the embassy and tech districts and scarce elsewhere
Currency
Renminbi / Chinese yuan (CNY, ¥)
Time zone
CST (GMT+8) — the whole of China runs on Beijing time, with no daylight saving
Power plug
Types A, C and I, 220 V / 50 Hz
Climate
Continental and dry — hot humid summers, cold dry winters well below freezing, short springs with occasional sandstorms from the north. Central heating is switched on citywide around mid-November
Air quality
Annual average PM2.5 of 27 µg/m³ in 2025, down from about 89.5 in 2013 — a two-thirds improvement, still above the WHO guideline of 5
Getting around
One of the world's largest metro systems; car plates are rationed by lottery and one plate-ending digit is banned from the roads each weekday
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Beijing checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Beijing
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.