Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $726 a month against $985 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
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Chengdu Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

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Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$726

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chengdu 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 Chengdu and in Hangzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $726 per month in Chengdu vs $985 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Chengdu $726
Hangzhou $985

A couple spends around $1,170 per month in Chengdu vs $1,533 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Chengdu $1,170
Hangzhou $1,533

A family of three spends $1,614 per month in Chengdu vs $2,080 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Chengdu $1,614
Hangzhou $2,080

Chengdu is about 26% cheaper than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chengdu and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 47% lower, Hangzhou 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.43

$3.73 ¥24.81

-21.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.28 ¥148

$26.03 ¥173

-14.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 ¥32.28

$4.68 ¥31.14

3.63%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ¥19.94

$3.48 ¥23.17

-13.79%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.61 ¥4.05

-16.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.33 ¥2.20

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ¥10.06

$1.22 ¥8.08

23.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.20

$2.23 ¥14.82

2.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.29

$1.84 ¥12.22

0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$1.61 ¥10.72

-7.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.58

$1.10 ¥7.33

-10.00%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.70

$2.11 ¥14.01

-23.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.31 ¥95.2

$19.06 ¥127

-24.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ¥24.25

$3.74 ¥24.90

-2.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 ¥73.3

$10.29 ¥68.5

7.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.62

$2.32 ¥15.43

-18.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ¥9.23

$1.34 ¥8.92

3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.91

$1.52 ¥10.11

-31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥7.97

$1.53 ¥10.19

-21.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.91

$0.94 ¥6.22

-21.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.56

$0.94 ¥6.27

-26.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.23

$0.63 ¥4.18

1.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.83

$0.55 ¥3.65

5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.53

$4.02 ¥26.75

-8.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.37 ¥29.08

$13.38 ¥89.0

-67.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.58

$0.77 ¥5.12

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$1.65 ¥10.98

-10.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.47 ¥3.13

-38.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.23 ¥168

$17.73 ¥118

42.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ¥8.83

$1.96 ¥13.05

-32.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.38 ¥2.55

-18.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 ¥29.07

$6.98 ¥46.47

-37.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.48

$1.32 ¥8.75

-3.79%

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

$19.6K ¥130.7K

$19.7K ¥131.3K

-0.41%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$18.4K ¥122.3K

-1.83%

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

$46.65 ¥310

$48.04 ¥320

-2.89%

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

$9.40 ¥62.6

$10.04 ¥66.8

-6.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.87 ¥85.6

$15.02 ¥100.0

-14.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.11 ¥180

$52.8 ¥351

-48.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.21 ¥74.6

$20.00 ¥133

-43.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 ¥41.02

$7.55 ¥50.2

-18.28%

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

$1,161 ¥7,724

$577 ¥3,836

101.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K ¥101.5K

$35.8K ¥238.1K

-57.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.36 ¥169

$60.2 ¥401

-57.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.52 ¥183

$42.24 ¥281

-34.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.1 ¥380

$84.0 ¥559

-32.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.2 ¥354

$111 ¥736

-51.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 ¥2,829

$552 ¥3,673

-22.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 ¥1,540

$352 ¥2,340

-34.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 ¥5,026

$1,117 ¥7,431

-32.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 ¥3,178

$627 ¥4,170

-23.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,476 ¥23.1K

$7,668 ¥51.0K

-54.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,845 ¥12.3K

$3,819 ¥25.4K

-51.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,278 ¥8,502

$1,582 ¥10.5K

-19.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.5

-3.43%

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

Last update for Chengdu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chengdu

$231 31.9%

Hangzhou

$352 35.7% 52% $120

Groceries & Markets

Chengdu

$195 26.8%

Hangzhou

$235 23.9% 20.7% $40

Eating Out

Chengdu

$89 12.3%

Hangzhou

$100 10.2% 12.2% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Chengdu

$73 10.1%

Hangzhou

$134 13.6% 82.1% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chengdu

$69 9.5%

Hangzhou

$73 7.4% 6.1% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Chengdu

$39 5.4%

Hangzhou

$68 6.9% 72.1% $28

Getting Around

Chengdu

$29 4%

Hangzhou

$23 2.4% 19.8% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Chengdu versus $552 in Hangzhou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Hangzhou, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chengdu versus $26 in Hangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $235 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

17:49 5:49 PM

Same time as Chengdu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,937,757

10,360,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chengdu Hangzhou 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chengdu
Hangzhou

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Chengdu vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $726 in Chengdu, $985 in Hangzhou – Chengdu comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,090 per month in Chengdu and $1,477 in Hangzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $552 in Hangzhou.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chengdu and $26 in Hangzhou. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $726 in Chengdu and $985 in Hangzhou. That makes Chengdu about 26% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $726 in Chengdu and $985 in Hangzhou, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

If budget matters most, go with Chengdu. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hangzhou makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.