Electricity price · 2020-05
Electricity price in China
A typical household in China pays about ¥0.488 per kWh (≈ $0.073), Beijing residential tiered price, tier 1 (≤240 kWh/month), voltage below 1 kV, VAT-inclusive. That is 6 of 44 countries from cheapest, 59% below the world median of $0.176.
What a monthly bill looks like
Energy charges only, before fixed charges; the rate includes taxes. Multiply your monthly kWh by the rate, or use a calculator below with the rate pre-filled.
| Monthly usage | Local currency | USD |
|---|---|---|
| 100 kWh | ¥48.83 | $7.25 |
| 250 kWh | ¥122.08 | $18.13 |
| 500 kWh | ¥244.15 | $36.25 |
China uses a step (slab) tariff: the first block of units each month is cheaper and later blocks cost more. The figure above is the rate a typical household pays; the marginal price of your next kilowatt-hour can be higher.
How China compares
- United States: $0.184/kWh (154% more)
- United Kingdom: $0.359/kWh (395% more)
- Germany: $0.452/kWh (523% more)
- India: $0.058/kWh (21% less)
- Bangladesh: $0.074/kWh (2% more)
Nearby in East Asia
South Korea $0.155 · Japan $0.229
Calculate with this rate
- Electricity cost of an appliance at ¥0.488/kWh
- Appliance running cost at ¥0.488/kWh
- EV charging cost at ¥0.488/kWh
- Air conditioner running cost at ¥0.488/kWh
Source and confidence
Approximate · Beijing Municipal Government, Living in Beijing: Electricity (State Grid Beijing tiered tariff), effective 2020-05. Beijing tiers: ≤240 kWh 0.4883; 241–400 0.5383; >400 0.7883 yuan/kWh; residential prices have been essentially frozen nationally since 2012, so the 2020 page remains current. Provincial tier-1 prices range roughly 0.42–0.62 yuan/kWh; no national average is published. Used as a proxy for China. Re-verified 2026-09-18: source URL returns HTTP 200. Beijing tier values 0.4883/0.5383/0.7883 CNY/kWh confirmed present on the live source page. Rates change; if your bill shows a different unit price, enter that instead — every calculator accepts your own rate.