CN flag
Beijing

China

vs
CN flag
Xi’an

China

Climate

Beijing logs 117 frost days a year to Xi’an's 59 — Xi’an wins by 58. Beijing also leads on sunny days by 57.

BeijingXi’an
Sunny days
242185
Hot days
8775
Frost days
11759
Rainy days
5096
Snow days
34
Outdoor dinner months
5/125/12
Avg wind
2.0 m/s1.3 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,3992,118
Darkest month sun
159 hrs/mo137 hrs/mo
UV peak month
6.17.3

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

Xi’an

Feels-like °C

1
4
13
17
24
29
31
30
23
14
7
0

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; Xi’an has no cost baseline yet.

Beijing

$1,263

monthly · balanced

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

Xi’an

monthly · balanced

Mobility

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

2.8/5
vs
/5
BeijingXi’an
WalkabilityTransitFlights

Culture

Beijing's culture score of 2.8 sits well above Xi’an's 0.0.

2.8/5
vs
0.0/5
BeijingXi’an
ArtsHistoryTheatreNightlife
Beijing leads

Nature & Outdoors

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

3.5/5
vs
/5
BeijingXi’an
MountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingSkiingClimbing

Safety

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

3.4/5
vs
/5
BeijingXi’an
Road

Career

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

4.0/5
vs
/5
BeijingXi’an
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

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

2.2/5
vs
/5
BeijingXi’an
Expat-First CommunityUrban EnergyStreet Atmosphere

Food & Dining

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

3.4/5
vs
/5
BeijingXi’an
RestaurantsBrunchDelivery

Family

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

3.3/5
vs
/5
BeijingXi’an
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpa

Healthcare

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

1.7/5
vs
/5

Air Quality

Beijing averages 38.8 µg/m³ (very unhealthy) PM2.5 annually versus Xi’an's 51.6 µg/m³ (very unhealthy) — Beijing breathes ~25% cleaner air (12.8 µg/m³ lower).

Beijing

Xi’an

38.8µg/m³
51.6µg/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 Xi’an (5.3M) are 3.4x in population — Beijing is the larger metro, Xi’an the smaller; on land area Beijing spans roughly 3.2x more ground.

3.3x

Beijing is roughly 3.3x the scale of Xi’an

Combined population & area comparison

CN flagBeijing
3.3x
CN flagXi’an
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.CN flagBeijing18.2M3.4x
2.CN flagXi’an5.3M1x
Area
1.CN flagBeijing2,179 km²3.2x
2.CN flagXi’an691 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
62 km66 km

CN flagBeijing

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
40 km35 km

CN flagXi’an

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Beijing vs Xi’an

Which is cheaper, Beijing or Xi’an?
Beijing has an estimated monthly cost of $1,263.
How does the climate compare between Beijing and Xi’an?
Sunny days: 242 vs 185 d — Beijing higher Annual sunshine: 2,399 vs 2,118 hrs — Beijing higher Winter sunshine: 159 vs 137 hrs/day — Beijing higher Hot days (>30°C): 87 vs 75 d — Xi’an lower Frost days: 117 vs 59 d — Xi’an lower Rainy days: 50 vs 96 d — Beijing lower Snowy days: 3 vs 4 d — Similar
Is Beijing or Xi’an safer?
Beijing has a safety score of 3.4/5.
Should I move to Beijing or Xi’an?
Beijing and Xi’an 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 Xi’an 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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