Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Changshu

For one person, living is cheaper in Changshu: $712 a month against $1,020 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Changshu
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Changshu Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,020

/mo nomad

Changshu

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Changshu

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 Changshu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Hangzhou versus $712 in Changshu.

Hangzhou $1,020
Changshu $712

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,566 in Hangzhou versus $1,128 in Changshu.

Hangzhou $1,566
Changshu $1,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Hangzhou versus $1,544 in Changshu.

Hangzhou $2,112
Changshu $1,544

Living in Hangzhou is roughly 43% more expensive than in Changshu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hangzhou 24% lower, Changshu 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 ¥25.22

$2.83 ¥18.91

33.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.72 ¥172

$21.95 ¥147

17.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ¥30.33

$4.91 ¥32.85

-7.54%

Cappuccino

$3.35 ¥22.38

$2.93 ¥19.60

14.33%

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

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.46 ¥3.08

28.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.24

$0.27 ¥1.79

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 ¥7.90

$0.87 ¥5.82

35.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.75

$2.04 ¥13.66

8.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.44

$1.88 ¥12.59

-1.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.60

$1.55 ¥10.38

2.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 ¥7.51

$0.89 ¥5.97

25.84%

Eggs

$2.01 ¥13.42

$1.58 ¥10.58

27.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.92 ¥127

$12.80 ¥85.6

47.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 ¥25.25

$3.16 ¥21.10

19.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.01 ¥66.9

$10.02 ¥67.0

-0.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 ¥15.23

$1.87 ¥12.49

21.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.43

$1.25 ¥8.35

12.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$1.55 ¥10.37

-1.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$1.15 ¥7.70

34.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.93

$0.70 ¥4.66

27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.95 ¥6.33

3.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.45

$0.56 ¥3.72

19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.61

$0.51 ¥3.39

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 ¥27.40

$3.22 ¥21.52

27.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 ¥89.0

$10.47 ¥70.0

27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.02

$1.57 ¥10.53

5.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.21

$0.27 ¥1.79

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.61 ¥118

$16.48 ¥110

6.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ¥12.76

$1.42 ¥9.51

34.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$0.33 ¥2.17

15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.65

$6.63 ¥44.35

9.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.12 ¥7.52

16.96%

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

$19.3K ¥129.2K

$19.6K ¥130.7K

-1.20%

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

$18.3K ¥122.5K

$17.2K ¥115.1K

6.43%

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

$47.44 ¥317

$46.01 ¥308

3.11%

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

$10.05 ¥67.2

$9.96 ¥66.6

0.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.50 ¥97.0

$11.63 ¥77.8

24.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 ¥344

$41.09 ¥275

25.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.69 ¥132

$14.00 ¥93.6

40.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 ¥48.94

$5.81 ¥38.83

25.99%

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

$568 ¥3,801

$329 ¥2,198

72.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K ¥242.1K

$16.9K ¥112.9K

114.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥398

$43.18 ¥289

37.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 ¥277

$30.03 ¥201

37.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 ¥576

$72.2 ¥483

19.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ¥728

$71.7 ¥479

51.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ¥4,182

$280 ¥1,870

123.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ¥2,628

$192 ¥1,283

104.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 ¥8,061

$597 ¥3,995

101.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,490

$357 ¥2,385

88.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,023 ¥53.6K

$2,988 ¥20.0K

168.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,742 ¥25.0K

$2,068 ¥13.8K

80.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,557 ¥10.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.89

-10.03%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 10, 2026

Last update for Changshu: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$393 38.5%

Changshu

$192 27% 51.2% $201

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$234 22.9%

Changshu

$198 27.8% 15.5% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$133 13.1%

Changshu

$98 13.7% 26.7% $36

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$98 9.6%

Changshu

$84 11.8% 14.4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$72 7.1%

Changshu

$68 9.5% 6.1% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$66 6.5%

Changshu

$53 7.4% 20.3% $13

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Changshu

$21 2.9% 14% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Hangzhou and $280 in Changshu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26.00 in Hangzhou vs $22.00 in Changshu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $198 per month, with Changshu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Changshu

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

1,677,050

💱 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

Hangzhou vs Changshu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,530 in Hangzhou and $1,068 in Changshu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Hangzhou versus $280 in Changshu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changshu – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $26.00 in Hangzhou. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,020 per month in Hangzhou versus $712 in Changshu – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $712 in Changshu versus $1,020 in Hangzhou, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Hangzhou. The gap between the two cities makes Changshu 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.

Safety-wise, Hangzhou and Changshu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Changshu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Hangzhou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.