Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Beihai

For one person, living is cheaper in Beihai: $730 a month against $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Beihai
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Beihai Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,023

/mo nomad

Beihai

🇨🇳 China

$730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Beihai

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

A single person spends $1,023 per month in Hangzhou vs $730 in Beihai, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,023
Beihai $730

A couple spends around $1,574 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,169 in Beihai, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,574
Beihai $1,169

A family of three spends $2,125 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,609 in Beihai, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,125
Beihai $1,609

Hangzhou costs about 40% more than Beihai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Hangzhou and Beihai are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 24% lower, Beihai 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ¥25.52

$3.07 ¥20.54

24.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.78 ¥172

$22.04 ¥147

16.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 ¥31.55

$5.27 ¥35.22

-10.44%

Cappuccino

$3.44 ¥23.02

$2.79 ¥18.64

23.30%

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

$0.61 ¥4.07

$0.50 ¥3.37

22.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$0.29 ¥1.92

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.93

$1.09 ¥7.31

9.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$2.07 ¥13.86

9.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.20

$1.84 ¥12.30

-1.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$1.64 ¥10.97

2.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.38

$1.01 ¥6.73

8.91%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥13.89

$1.65 ¥11.05

26.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 ¥129

$13.11 ¥87.7

46.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ¥25.18

$3.29 ¥21.99

14.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 ¥67.5

$11.19 ¥74.8

-9.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥15.84

$1.84 ¥12.33

28.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.27 ¥8.47

5.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.06

$1.49 ¥9.94

0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.27

$1.30 ¥8.71

18.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$0.75 ¥5.05

24.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$0.89 ¥5.94

3.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.55

$0.59 ¥3.94

15.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.83

$0.54 ¥3.63

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ¥28.08

$3.81 ¥25.45

10.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 ¥91.6

$11.36 ¥76.0

20.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.32

$0.82 ¥5.48

-2.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.61 ¥10.79

6.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$0.31 ¥2.09

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.96 ¥120

$18.21 ¥122

-1.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ¥12.89

$1.46 ¥9.76

32.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.33 ¥2.20

15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 ¥46.52

$7.13 ¥47.70

-2.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.17

$1.31 ¥8.76

4.58%

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

$19.1K ¥127.9K

$19.6K ¥131.2K

-2.49%

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

$18.8K ¥125.9K

$17.1K ¥114.5K

9.96%

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

$47.48 ¥317

$56.6 ¥378

-16.04%

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

$10.02 ¥67.0

$8.64 ¥57.8

15.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.74 ¥98.6

$11.24 ¥75.2

31.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ¥341

$40.94 ¥274

24.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 ¥129

$14.87 ¥99.4

30.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.77

$6.31 ¥42.17

17.91%

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

$578 ¥3,863

$426 ¥2,847

35.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K ¥241.5K

$17.7K ¥118.4K

104.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ¥388

$42.93 ¥287

35.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.37 ¥283

$32.91 ¥220

28.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 ¥578

$73.5 ¥491

17.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ¥736

$75.5 ¥505

45.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,167

$299 ¥1,999

108.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ¥2,605

$183 ¥1,222

113.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 ¥8,019

$621 ¥4,152

93.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,495

$373 ¥2,495

80.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,857 ¥52.5K

$3,506 ¥23.4K

124.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,778 ¥25.3K

$1,974 ¥13.2K

91.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 ¥10.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.36

4.17%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 19, 2026

Last update for Beihai: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$390 38.1%

Beihai

$183 25% 53.1% $207

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$237 23.2%

Beihai

$207 28.4% 12.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.1%

Beihai

$101 13.9% 24.3% $32

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 9.8%

Beihai

$87 11.9% 13.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$72 7.1%

Beihai

$76 10.5% 5.8% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$66 6.4%

Beihai

$54 7.3% 18.8% $12

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Beihai

$23 3.1% 7.1% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $623 in Hangzhou versus $299 in Beihai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Hangzhou versus $22.00 in Beihai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $207 – making Beihai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Beihai

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

1,617,500

💱 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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Hangzhou Beihai 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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

Hangzhou vs Beihai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hangzhou costs about 40% more than Beihai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,535 per month in Hangzhou and $1,095 in Beihai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Beihai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Hangzhou, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Hangzhou and $22.00 in Beihai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Beihai, where all-in costs run around $730, than in Hangzhou at $1,023. In Beihai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Beihai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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