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Beijing
#17 of 124
Asia

Beijing

China

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Beijing compare to San Francisco?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Beijing is 17% worse off vs in San Francisco

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Beijing compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$82,767
-$190K (-70%) vs San Francisco
Based on 199 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$50,819
-$122K (-71%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 39%

Community Insights

New

Beijing offers a high-intensity, high-reward environment for software engineers. It serves as the undisputed center of China's tech industry, offering salaries that provide exceptional purchasing power relative to the cost of living (ranked #16 globally for purchasing power). However, this comes at the cost of a demanding work-life balance, with the infamous 996 culture still prevalent in many domestic firms.

While the city is extremely safe and digitally advanced, newcomers must navigate internet restrictions, a distinct language barrier, and environmental factors like air quality. It is a city of scale and speed, best suited for those prioritizing rapid career acceleration over a relaxed lifestyle.

Resident Sentiment

Residents describe a love-hate relationship with the city. They appreciate the energy, convenience, and earning potential, often citing that they can save significantly more money than peers in Europe or North America.

However, there is a pervasive sentiment of fatigue regarding the work culture, with many expats and locals alike venting about burnout and the pressure to perform. Long-term retention is often debated, with many viewing Beijing as a place to "grind and save" for a few years rather than a forever home.

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to San Francisco.

Rankings

Safety Index

Top 12%

#15

of 124 cities

74.8/100

Current value

Purchasing Power

Top 14%

#17

of 124 cities

Cost of Living

Top 20%

#25

of 124 cities

32/100

Current value (lower is better)

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Beijing compared to San Francisco?

Avg. Property Price
$10,053 / m²
similar to San Francisco
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Beijing to maintain the same standard of living.

$

Do you have kids?

Cost of Living
64% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Beijing

Amazon logo
Amazon
ByteDance logo
ByteDance
Microsoft logo
Microsoft

The Good

  • High purchasing power for tech workers, with salaries providing a very comfortable lifestyle due to lower local costs compared to Western hubs.
  • Unrivaled career growth opportunities in a massive ecosystem; Beijing is effectively the "Silicon Valley" of China with the highest concentration of unicorns and big tech firms.
  • Extremely safe environment with low crime rates, allowing for secure travel and movement at any time of day.
  • Advanced digital convenience where everything from payments to groceries is seamless via apps like WeChat and Alipay.
  • World-class public transportation network that is affordable and extensive, making car ownership unnecessary.

The Bad

  • Notorious "996" work culture (9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week) is common in domestic tech giants, leading to severe burnout.
  • Internet censorship (The Great Firewall) requires reliable VPNs for accessing global tools/sites, which can be unstable and frustrating for developers.
  • Significant language barrier in professional and daily life; unlike Shanghai, English is less widely spoken, making Mandarin fluency almost mandatory for social integration.
  • Air pollution remains a concern compared to global standards, though residents note it has improved in recent years.
  • High upfront housing costs relative to income if looking to buy, though renting is generally affordable for engineers.

The Verdict

You'll love it if...

Ambitious, career-driven engineers looking to work at the bleeding edge of consumer tech and scale. It is ideal for Mandarin speakers or those willing to learn intensively, as well as individuals who value financial savings and purchasing power over breathable air or open internet access.

Those seeking to work in AI, autonomous driving, or massive-scale mobile apps will find Beijing's ecosystem world-leading.

Skip it if...

Work-life balance advocates who strictly value their evenings and weekends will likely struggle here. It is also not suitable for asthmatics or those sensitive to pollution, nor for developers who rely heavily on unimpeded access to the global internet ecosystem.

Non-Mandarin speakers unwilling to learn the language will find daily life and workplace integration significantly harder than in more international cities like Shanghai or Hong Kong.

Updated 11/29/2025

Weather4.7/10-46% vs San Francisco
Safety75+90%
Pollution77+57%
Events0-100%
4.7/10TechCities weather score vs 8.7/10 in San Francisco

0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

Weather snapshot

Average High
18°C(vs 19°C in San Francisco)
Average Low
8°C(vs 12°C in San Francisco)
Sunshine Hours
2,671h/yr-391h/yr(-13%)
Hottest Month High
31°C(vs 22°C in San Francisco)
Coldest Month Low
-8°C(vs 8°C in San Francisco)
Rainy Days
47/yr(same as San Francisco)

Community & Quality

Beijing community pulse

Beijing has 0 Luma events listed.

100% fewer events than San Francisco.

Comfortable Weather

Middle of the pack

#49

of 124 cities

47/100 weather score

Current value

Net Income

Middle of the pack

#67

of 124 cities

$50,819/yr

Current value

Community Events

Middle of the pack

#77

of 124 cities

0 events on luma

Current value

Home Affordability

Bottom 16%

#105

of 124 cities

≈15.8 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Tax Rate

Bottom 15%

#107

of 124 cities

39%

Current value (lower is better)

Pollution Score

Bottom 14%

#108

of 124 cities

77.2/100

Current value (lower is better)

SWE Affordability
15.8 years
11.2 years longer than San Francisco
Muggy Days
61/yr+61/yr(+30500%)
Cloud Cover
32%(vs 34% in San Francisco)