Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changzhou and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Changzhou: $741 a month against $1,020 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Changzhou
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Changzhou Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

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Changzhou

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Changzhou and in Hangzhou

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Changzhou and in Hangzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $741 in Changzhou versus $1,020 in Hangzhou.

Changzhou $741
Hangzhou $1,020

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,217 in Changzhou versus $1,566 in Hangzhou.

Changzhou $1,217
Hangzhou $1,566

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,694 in Changzhou versus $2,112 in Hangzhou.

Changzhou $1,694
Hangzhou $2,112

Living in Changzhou costs roughly 27% less than in Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Changzhou 45% lower, Hangzhou 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$3.77 ¥25.22

-22.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.54 ¥191

$25.72 ¥172

10.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 ¥30.16

$4.54 ¥30.33

-0.66%

Cappuccino

$2.22 ¥14.82

$3.35 ¥22.38

-33.73%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.59 ¥3.97

-35.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.53

$0.33 ¥2.24

-30.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.62 ¥4.15

$1.18 ¥7.90

-47.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥9.69

$2.21 ¥14.75

-34.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.47

$1.86 ¥12.44

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ¥8.59

$1.59 ¥10.60

-19.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.65

$1.12 ¥7.51

-10.71%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.53

$2.01 ¥13.42

-14.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ¥49.53

$18.92 ¥127

-60.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.82 ¥18.85

$3.78 ¥25.25

-25.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.35 ¥82.6

$10.01 ¥66.9

23.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ¥14.44

$2.28 ¥15.23

-5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.58

$1.41 ¥9.43

22.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ¥13.14

$1.52 ¥10.16

29.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.96

$1.55 ¥10.39

-32.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.13

$0.89 ¥5.93

-13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$0.98 ¥6.57

1.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.67 ¥4.45

-41.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.18

$0.54 ¥3.61

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ¥22.03

$4.10 ¥27.40

-19.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 ¥70.8

$13.30 ¥89.0

-20.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.48

$0.78 ¥5.22

5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.45

$1.65 ¥11.02

-5.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.63 ¥4.21

-47.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.32 ¥95.8

$17.61 ¥118

-18.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ¥10.09

$1.91 ¥12.76

-20.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.38 ¥2.54

-18.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ¥19.57

$7.28 ¥48.65

-59.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$1.31 ¥8.76

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$17.1K ¥114.1K

$19.3K ¥129.2K

-11.66%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$13.8K ¥92.3K

$18.3K ¥122.5K

-24.65%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$57.5 ¥385

$47.44 ¥317

21.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.13 ¥54.3

$10.05 ¥67.2

-19.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.66 ¥71.3

$14.50 ¥97.0

-26.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.60 ¥271

$51.5 ¥344

-21.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.75 ¥98.6

$19.69 ¥132

-25.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 ¥30.53

$7.32 ¥48.94

-37.57%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$251 ¥1,681

$568 ¥3,801

-55.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ¥101.0K

$36.2K ¥242.1K

-58.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥370

$59.6 ¥398

-7.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.58 ¥151

$41.39 ¥277

-45.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ¥508

$86.2 ¥576

-11.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.2 ¥510

$109 ¥728

-30.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$285 ¥1,908

$626 ¥4,182

-54.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 ¥1,529

$393 ¥2,628

-41.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 ¥6,132

$1,206 ¥8,061

-23.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ¥3,311

$672 ¥4,490

-26.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,942 ¥19.7K

$8,023 ¥53.6K

-63.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,613 ¥10.8K

$3,742 ¥25.0K

-56.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 ¥7,131

$1,557 ¥10.4K

-31.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.5

-4.29%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Changzhou: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Changzhou

$229 30.9%

Hangzhou

$393 38.5% 71.9% $164

Groceries & Markets

Changzhou

$192 25.9%

Hangzhou

$234 22.9% 22% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Changzhou

$104 14%

Hangzhou

$133 13.1% 28.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changzhou

$76 10.3%

Hangzhou

$72 7.1% 5.6% $4.3

Eating Out

Changzhou

$72 9.7%

Hangzhou

$98 9.6% 36.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Changzhou

$50 6.7%

Hangzhou

$66 6.5% 33% $16

Getting Around

Changzhou

$19 2.5%

Hangzhou

$24 2.4% 28% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $285 in Changzhou and $626 in Hangzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hangzhou pays 46% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Changzhou vs $26.00 in Hangzhou. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $234, with Changzhou cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changzhou

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Changzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,278,121

10,360,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Changzhou vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Hangzhou. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $285 in Changzhou versus $626 in Hangzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Hangzhou. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Changzhou – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $26.00 in Hangzhou. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $741 in Changzhou versus $1,020 in Hangzhou, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Hangzhou. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Hangzhou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.