Cost of Living Comparison Between Dalian and Hangzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Dalian and Hangzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $816 in Dalian versus $908 in Hangzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,276 in Dalian versus $1,462 in Hangzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,737 in Dalian versus $2,017 in Hangzhou.

Living in Dalian costs roughly 10% less than in Hangzhou, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dalian 39% lower, Hangzhou 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 ¥23.38

$3.50 ¥23.66

-1.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.17 ¥163

$26.22 ¥177

-7.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 ¥33.63

$4.91 ¥33.20

1.22%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ¥20.25

$3.39 ¥22.94

-11.50%

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

$0.48 ¥3.24

$0.48 ¥3.26

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ¥1.61

$0.29 ¥1.98

-17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ¥5.80

$1.10 ¥7.43

-21.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ¥10.14

$1.63 ¥11.01

-7.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ¥11.12

$1.98 ¥13.40

-17.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ¥9.89

$1.97 ¥13.31

-25.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.11

$0.99 ¥6.72

-9.09%

Eggs

$1.94 ¥13.11

$1.81 ¥12.25

7.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ¥130

$16.80 ¥114

13.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.71 ¥18.31

$2.58 ¥17.46

5.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 ¥70.3

$9.63 ¥65.1

7.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.67

$2.04 ¥13.81

-37.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.50

$1.79 ¥12.11

-37.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.61

$1.60 ¥10.79

-20.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.09

$1.20 ¥8.11

-37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.83

$0.72 ¥4.85

-1.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$1.00 ¥6.76

-23.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.67

$0.63 ¥4.25

9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.82

$0.53 ¥3.62

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ¥24.17

$4.27 ¥28.87

-16.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 ¥119

$13.56 ¥91.7

29.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.73

$0.69 ¥4.66

23.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.98

$1.70 ¥11.47

-12.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.98

$0.51 ¥3.43

-43.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.07 ¥190

$15.03 ¥102

86.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.22

$1.77 ¥11.96

-23.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ¥2.68

$0.42 ¥2.85

-4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ¥26.60

$6.45 ¥43.60

-39.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.92

$1.14 ¥7.71

2.63%

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

$17.9K ¥121.0K

$19.5K ¥131.6K

-8.06%

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

$16.3K ¥110.4K

$16.7K ¥113.3K

-2.51%

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

$44.59 ¥301

$45.27 ¥306

-1.50%

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

$9.51 ¥64.3

$11.28 ¥76.3

-15.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.15 ¥75.4

$18.42 ¥125

-39.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.39 ¥246

$60.0 ¥406

-39.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.47 ¥165

$15.86 ¥107

54.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 ¥44.37

$6.42 ¥43.43

2.18%

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

$451 ¥3,049

$456 ¥3,083

-1.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,593 ¥64.9K

$28.5K ¥192.9K

-66.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 ¥379

$56.2 ¥380

-0.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 ¥348

$34.96 ¥236

47.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ¥705

$72.1 ¥488

44.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ¥642

$93.3 ¥631

1.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 ¥2,436

$523 ¥3,540

-31.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 ¥1,388

$301 ¥2,035

-31.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 ¥4,366

$1,118 ¥7,557

-42.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ¥2,499

$685 ¥4,631

-46.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,695 ¥18.2K

$7,767 ¥52.5K

-65.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,645 ¥11.1K

$3,765 ¥25.5K

-56.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,085 ¥7,340

$1,470 ¥9,942

-26.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

3.83

9.14%

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

Last update for Dalian: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $360 in Dalian and $523 in Hangzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hangzhou pays 35% 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: $24.00 in Dalian vs $26.00 in Hangzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $223 per month, with Dalian cheaper across the board.

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

Dalian vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dalian and Hangzhou differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($816 vs $908 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hangzhou earns 35% less. 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: $360 in Dalian versus $523 in Hangzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $451 in Dalian versus $456 in Hangzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Hangzhou. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $816 in Dalian versus $908 in Hangzhou, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dalian but tight or insufficient in Hangzhou. The gap between the two cities makes Dalian 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 Dalian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Hangzhou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.