Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Hangzhou: $1,023 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,023

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Beijing (Pekin)

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 Beijing (Pekin) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,023 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Hangzhou $1,023
Beijing (Pekin) $1,185

A couple spends around $1,574 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,917 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Hangzhou $1,574
Beijing (Pekin) $1,917

A family of three spends $2,125 per month in Hangzhou vs $2,648 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Hangzhou $2,125
Beijing (Pekin) $2,648

Hangzhou is about 14% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hangzhou and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 24% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ¥25.52

$4.53 ¥30.31

-15.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.78 ¥172

$30.16 ¥202

-14.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 ¥31.55

$5.36 ¥35.83

-11.94%

Cappuccino

$3.44 ¥23.02

$3.57 ¥23.84

-3.64%

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

$0.61 ¥4.07

$0.51 ¥3.39

19.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$0.28 ¥1.89

17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.93

$1.19 ¥7.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$1.71 ¥11.43

32.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.20

$1.74 ¥11.66

4.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$1.77 ¥11.82

-5.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.38

$1.29 ¥8.61

-14.73%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥13.89

$1.95 ¥13.01

6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 ¥129

$14.29 ¥95.5

34.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ¥25.18

$3.31 ¥22.13

13.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 ¥67.5

$11.11 ¥74.3

-9.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥15.84

$2.12 ¥14.18

11.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.73 ¥11.56

-22.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.06

$2.09 ¥13.98

-28.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.27

$1.54 ¥10.30

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$0.69 ¥4.64

34.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$0.91 ¥6.09

1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.55

$0.75 ¥5.04

-9.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.83

$0.61 ¥4.06

-6.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ¥28.08

$4.27 ¥28.52

-1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 ¥91.6

$13.90 ¥93.0

-1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.32

$1.02 ¥6.80

-21.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.81 ¥12.09

-4.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$0.69 ¥4.65

-10.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.96 ¥120

$34.82 ¥233

-48.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ¥12.89

$1.90 ¥12.73

1.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.35 ¥2.36

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 ¥46.52

$7.28 ¥48.68

-4.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.17

$1.33 ¥8.87

3.01%

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

$19.1K ¥127.9K

$19.6K ¥131.3K

-2.55%

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

$18.8K ¥125.9K

$18.0K ¥120.6K

4.37%

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

$47.48 ¥317

$59.1 ¥395

-19.61%

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

$10.02 ¥67.0

$8.77 ¥58.7

14.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.74 ¥98.6

$14.22 ¥95.1

3.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ¥341

$41.06 ¥275

24.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 ¥129

$24.89 ¥166

-22.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.77

$7.44 ¥49.74

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

$578 ¥3,863

$654 ¥4,375

-11.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K ¥241.5K

$24.0K ¥160.5K

50.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ¥388

$71.2 ¥476

-18.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.37 ¥283

$40.02 ¥268

5.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 ¥578

$88.2 ¥590

-1.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ¥736

$127 ¥846

-13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,167

$945 ¥6,317

-34.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ¥2,605

$523 ¥3,499

-25.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 ¥8,019

$2,362 ¥15.8K

-49.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,495

$1,122 ¥7,500

-40.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,857 ¥52.5K

$12.3K ¥82.0K

-35.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,778 ¥25.3K

$6,446 ¥43.1K

-41.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 ¥10.6K

$1,715 ¥11.5K

-7.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.12

12.18%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 19, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$390 38.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2% 34.3% $134

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$237 23.2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3% 3.7% $8.7

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4% 9.8% $13

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 9.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1% 7.4% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$72 7.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9% 13.6% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$66 6.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7% 15.1% $10

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5% 69.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $623 in Hangzhou versus $945 in Beijing (Pekin). 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 8% higher in Beijing (Pekin), 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 $26.00 in Hangzhou versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Hangzhou vs $229 in Beijing (Pekin) – so Beijing (Pekin) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

21,893,095 Capital

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Hangzhou Beijing (Pekin) 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Hangzhou
Beijing (Pekin)

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

Hangzhou vs Beijing (Pekin): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,535 per month in Hangzhou and $1,778 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Hangzhou and $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,023 in Hangzhou and $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a gap of about 16%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Hangzhou, where all-in costs run around $1,023, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Hangzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hangzhou – 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 Hangzhou. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.