Tokyo vs Beijing Cost of Living
Tokyo (Japan) · Overall index 53.8 — Beijing (China) · Overall index 43.4
Summary
- Overall, Beijing is 19% cheaper than Tokyo.
- Transport in Beijing is 23% cheaper than in Tokyo.
- Utilities & household in Beijing is 21% cheaper than in Tokyo.
| Item | Tokyo | Beijing | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -15% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,307 | $1,210 | -7% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $782 | $654 | -16% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,737 | $2,286 | -16% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,558 | $1,225 | -21% |
| Groceries | -21% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.87 | $0.75 | -14% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.62 | $2.35 | -10% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.43 | $3.05 | -11% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.26 | $2.51 | -23% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $9.15 | $7.18 | -22% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $9.77 | $6.51 | -33% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $14.2 | $10.2 | -28% |
| Apples (1kg) | $3.74 | $3.16 | -16% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.62 | $1.08 | -33% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3 | $2.56 | -15% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $4.44 | $2.81 | -37% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.3 | $1.88 | -18% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.06 | $1.54 | -25% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.69 | $1.5 | -11% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.8 | $1.52 | -16% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $11.4 | $9.64 | -15% |
| Transport | -23% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.65 | $1.16 | -30% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $75.4 | $59.6 | -21% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.32 | $1.93 | -17% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.23 | $0.86 | -30% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.58 | $0.47 | -19% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $18,186 | $14,148 | -22% |
| Dining out | -19% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $13.8 | $12.9 | -7% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $70.3 | $63.4 | -10% |
| Fast food combo meal | $7.88 | $6.18 | -22% |
| Cappuccino | $3.87 | $2.85 | -26% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.65 | $1.38 | -16% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $4.95 | $4.1 | -17% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $5.82 | $3.8 | -35% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.35 | $1.15 | -15% |
| Telecom | -17% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $41.5 | $41.6 | 0% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $52.1 | $39.8 | -24% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.26 | $0.21 | -19% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $12.7 | $9.77 | -23% |
| Utilities & household | -21% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $126 | $91.2 | -28% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.15 | $0.14 | -7% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $3.07 | $2.62 | -15% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.05 | $0.86 | -18% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $16.3 | $11.8 | -28% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $62.2 | $45 | -28% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $9.79 | $7.83 | -20% |
| Men's haircut | $23.3 | $17.1 | -27% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $18.8 | $13.8 | -27% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,434 | $1,236 | -14% |
2,992 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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