CN flag
Beijing

China

vs
CN flag
Chengdu

China

Climate

Beijing logs 117 frost days a year to Chengdu's 6 — Chengdu wins by 111. Beijing also leads on sunny days by 139.

BeijingChengdu
Sunny days
242103
Hot days
8773
Frost days
1176
Rain days
50123
Snow days
30
Outdoor dinner months
5/127/12
Avg wind
2.0 m/s1.7 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,3991,511
Darkest month sun
159 hrs/mo81 hrs/mo
UV peak month
6.16.2

Beijing

Feels-like °C

-7
0
9
16
24
31
32
30
24
14
4
-7

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Chengdu

Feels-like °C

7
10
15
20
25
29
32
31
26
18
15
6

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Beijing averages $1,263/mo for balanced living; Chengdu has no cost baseline yet.

Beijing

$1,263

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $964Comfort $2,176
Top 73%in Among 40 Asia cities

Chengdu

monthly · balanced

Mobility

Beijing scores 2.8 on mobility (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no mobility baseline.

2.8/5
vs
/5
BeijingChengdu
WalkabilityTransitFlights

Culture

Beijing's culture score of 2.8 sits well above Chengdu's 0.0.

2.8/5
vs
0.0/5
BeijingChengdu
ArtsHistoryTheatreNightlife
Beijing leads

Nature & Outdoors

Beijing scores 3.5 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no nature & outdoors baseline.

3.5/5
vs
/5
BeijingChengdu
MountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingSkiingClimbing

Safety

Beijing scores 3.4 on safety (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no safety baseline.

3.4/5
vs
/5
BeijingChengdu
Road

Career

Beijing scores 4.0 on career (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no career baseline.

4.0/5
vs
/5
BeijingChengdu
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

Beijing scores 2.2 on social & community (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no social & community baseline.

2.2/5
vs
/5
BeijingChengdu
Expat-First CommunityUrban EnergyStreet Atmosphere

Food & Dining

Beijing scores 3.4 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no food & dining baseline.

3.4/5
vs
/5
BeijingChengdu
RestaurantsBrunchDelivery

Family

Beijing scores 3.3 on family (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no family baseline.

3.3/5
vs
/5
BeijingChengdu
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpa

Healthcare

Beijing scores 1.7 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Chengdu has no healthcare baseline.

1.7/5
vs
/5

Air Quality

Beijing averages 38.8 µg/m³ (very unhealthy) PM2.5 annually versus Chengdu's 44.6 µg/m³ (very unhealthy) — Beijing breathes ~13% cleaner air (5.8 µg/m³ lower).

Beijing

Chengdu

38.8µg/m³
44.6µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Very Unhealthy
Very Unhealthy

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Beijing (18.2M) and Chengdu (5.6M) are 3.2x in population — Beijing is the larger metro, Chengdu the smaller; on land area Beijing spans roughly 2.5x more ground.

2.9x

Beijing is roughly 2.9x the scale of Chengdu

Combined population & area comparison

CN flagBeijing
2.9x
CN flagChengdu
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.CN flagBeijing18.2M3.2x
2.CN flagChengdu5.6M1x
Area
1.CN flagBeijing2,179 km²2.5x
2.CN flagChengdu867 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
62 km66 km

CN flagBeijing

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
41 km49 km

CN flagChengdu

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Beijing vs Chengdu

Which is cheaper, Beijing or Chengdu?
Beijing has an estimated monthly cost of $1,263.
How does the climate compare between Beijing and Chengdu?
Sunny days: 242 vs 103 d — Beijing higher Annual sunshine: 2,399 vs 1,511 hrs — Beijing higher Winter sunshine: 159 vs 81 hrs/day — Beijing higher Hot days (>30°C): 87 vs 73 d — Chengdu lower Frost days: 117 vs 6 d — Chengdu lower Rainy days: 50 vs 123 d — Beijing lower Snowy days: 3 vs 0 d — Chengdu lower
Is Beijing or Chengdu safer?
Beijing has a safety score of 3.4/5.
Should I move to Beijing or Chengdu?
Beijing and Chengdu are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Beijing and Chengdu stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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