CN flag
Beijing

China

vs
CN flag
Xiamen

China

Climate

Beijing logs 242 sunny days a year to Xiamen's 188 — Beijing wins by 54. Beijing also leads on hot days by 24.

BeijingXiamen
Sunny days
242188
Hot days
87111
Frost days
1170
Rainy days
50128
Snow days
30
Outdoor dinner months
5/125/12
Avg wind
2.0 m/s3.1 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,3992,141
Darkest month sun
159 hrs/mo134 hrs/mo
UV peak month
6.110.0

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

Xiamen

Feels-like °C

15
18
21
24
28
31
34
33
32
25
22
15

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; Xiamen has no cost baseline yet.

Beijing

$1,263

monthly · balanced

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

Xiamen

monthly · balanced

Mobility

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

2.8/5
vs
/5
BeijingXiamen
WalkabilityTransitFlights

Culture

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

2.8/5
vs
0.0/5
BeijingXiamen
ArtsHistoryTheatreNightlife
Beijing leads

Nature & Outdoors

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

3.5/5
vs
/5
BeijingXiamen
MountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingSkiingClimbing

Safety

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

3.4/5
vs
/5
BeijingXiamen
Road

Career

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

4.0/5
vs
/5
BeijingXiamen
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

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

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

Food & Dining

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

3.4/5
vs
/5
BeijingXiamen
RestaurantsBrunchDelivery

Family

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

3.3/5
vs
/5
BeijingXiamen
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpa

Healthcare

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

1.7/5
vs
/5

Air Quality

Beijing averages 38.8 µg/m³ (very unhealthy) PM2.5 annually versus Xiamen's 24.1 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) — Xiamen breathes ~38% cleaner air (14.7 µg/m³ lower).

Beijing

Xiamen

38.8µg/m³
24.1µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Very Unhealthy
Sensitive Groups

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 Xiamen (1.7M) are 11x in population — Beijing is the larger metro, Xiamen the smaller; on land area Beijing spans roughly 12x more ground.

11x

Beijing is roughly 11x the scale of Xiamen

Combined population & area comparison

CN flagBeijing
11x
CN flagXiamen
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.CN flagBeijing18.2M11x
2.CN flagXiamen1.7M1x
Area
1.CN flagBeijing2,179 km²12x
2.CN flagXiamen185 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
62 km66 km

CN flagBeijing

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
23 km16 km

CN flagXiamen

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Beijing vs Xiamen

Which is cheaper, Beijing or Xiamen?
Beijing has an estimated monthly cost of $1,263.
How does the climate compare between Beijing and Xiamen?
Sunny days: 242 vs 188 d — Beijing higher Annual sunshine: 2,399 vs 2,141 hrs — Beijing higher Winter sunshine: 159 vs 134 hrs/day — Beijing higher Hot days (>30°C): 87 vs 111 d — Beijing lower Frost days: 117 vs 0 d — Xiamen lower Rainy days: 50 vs 128 d — Beijing lower Snowy days: 3 vs 0 d — Xiamen lower
Is Beijing or Xiamen safer?
Beijing has a safety score of 3.4/5.
Should I move to Beijing or Xiamen?
Beijing and Xiamen 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 Xiamen 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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