Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Matsuyama is easier to travel (2.0 vs 2.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Beijing 3 vs Matsuyama 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Beijing | Matsuyama | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฅ 30$4.23 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Beijing โ37% |
| Street food1 item | ยฅ 12$1.69 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Beijing โ50% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฅ 100$14.1 | ยฅ 3,000$20.3 | Beijing โ31% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฅ 25$3.52 | ยฅ 550$3.72 | Beijing โ5% |
| Beerone bottle | ยฅ 20$2.82 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Beijing โ31% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฅ 70$9.86 | ยฅ 700$4.73 | Matsuyama โ52% |
| Bottled water | ยฅ 2.5$0.35 | ยฅ 130$0.88 | Beijing โ60% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฅ 5$0.7 | ยฅ 200$1.35 | Beijing โ48% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฅ 18$2.54 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Beijing โ81% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฅ 14$1.97 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Beijing โ71% |
| Transitone ride | ยฅ 4$0.56 | ยฅ 250$1.69 | Beijing โ67% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฅ 15$2.11 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Beijing โ69% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฅ 400$56.3 | ยฅ 11,000$74.3 | Beijing โ24% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฅ 5,500$775 | ยฅ 54,000$365 | Matsuyama โ53% |
| Laundry | ยฅ 14$1.97 | ยฅ 800$5.41 | Beijing โ64% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฅ 100$14.1 | ยฅ 3,000$20.3 | Beijing โ31% |
| Haircutcut | ยฅ 50$7.04 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | Beijing โ58% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฅ 200$28.2 | ยฅ 4,500$30.4 | Beijing โ7% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฅ 250$35.2 | ยฅ 5,000$33.8 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฅ 60$8.45 | ยฅ 520$3.51 | Matsuyama โ58% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Beijing is 21% cheaper than Matsuyama. Daily budget $98.1 vs $160; a month $2,455 vs $2,225.
Matsuyama is easier: Matsuyama 2.0/5 vs Beijing 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Beijing is about $2,455 and Matsuyama about $2,225 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.