Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Changzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Changzhou: $741 a month against $1,020 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Changzhou
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Changzhou Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,020

/mo nomad

Changzhou

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Changzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Hangzhou versus $741 in Changzhou.

Hangzhou $1,020
Changzhou $741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,566 in Hangzhou versus $1,217 in Changzhou.

Hangzhou $1,566
Changzhou $1,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Hangzhou versus $1,694 in Changzhou.

Hangzhou $2,112
Changzhou $1,694

Living in Hangzhou is roughly 38% more expensive than in Changzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hangzhou 24% lower, Changzhou 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 ¥25.22

$2.92 ¥19.50

29.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.72 ¥172

$28.54 ¥191

-9.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ¥30.33

$4.51 ¥30.16

0.67%

Cappuccino

$3.35 ¥22.38

$2.22 ¥14.82

50.90%

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

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.38 ¥2.55

55.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.24

$0.23 ¥1.53

43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 ¥7.90

$0.62 ¥4.15

90.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.75

$1.45 ¥9.69

52.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.44

$1.86 ¥12.47

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.60

$1.28 ¥8.59

24.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 ¥7.51

$1.00 ¥6.65

12.00%

Eggs

$2.01 ¥13.42

$1.72 ¥11.53

16.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.92 ¥127

$7.41 ¥49.53

155.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 ¥25.25

$2.82 ¥18.85

34.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.01 ¥66.9

$12.35 ¥82.6

-18.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 ¥15.23

$2.16 ¥14.44

5.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.43

$1.73 ¥11.58

-18.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$1.97 ¥13.14

-22.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$1.04 ¥6.96

49.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.93

$0.77 ¥5.13

15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.99 ¥6.63

-1.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.45

$0.39 ¥2.60

71.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.61

$0.62 ¥4.18

-12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 ¥27.40

$3.29 ¥22.03

24.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 ¥89.0

$10.58 ¥70.8

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.22

$0.82 ¥5.48

-4.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.02

$1.56 ¥10.45

5.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.21

$0.33 ¥2.20

90.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.61 ¥118

$14.32 ¥95.8

22.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ¥12.76

$1.51 ¥10.09

26.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$0.31 ¥2.08

22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.65

$2.93 ¥19.57

148.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.31 ¥8.74

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

$19.3K ¥129.2K

$17.1K ¥114.1K

13.20%

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

$18.3K ¥122.5K

$13.8K ¥92.3K

32.72%

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

$47.44 ¥317

$57.5 ¥385

-17.51%

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

$10.05 ¥67.2

$8.13 ¥54.3

23.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.50 ¥97.0

$10.66 ¥71.3

36.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 ¥344

$40.60 ¥271

26.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.69 ¥132

$14.75 ¥98.6

33.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 ¥48.94

$4.57 ¥30.53

60.18%

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

$568 ¥3,801

$251 ¥1,681

126.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K ¥242.1K

$15.1K ¥101.0K

139.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥398

$55.3 ¥370

7.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 ¥277

$22.58 ¥151

83.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 ¥576

$76.0 ¥508

13.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ¥728

$76.2 ¥510

42.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ¥4,182

$285 ¥1,908

119.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ¥2,628

$229 ¥1,529

71.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 ¥8,061

$917 ¥6,132

31.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,490

$495 ¥3,311

35.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,023 ¥53.6K

$2,942 ¥19.7K

172.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,742 ¥25.0K

$1,613 ¥10.8K

131.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,557 ¥10.4K

$1,067 ¥7,131

45.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.35

4.48%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 10, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$393 38.5%

Changzhou

$229 30.9% 41.8% $164

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$234 22.9%

Changzhou

$192 25.9% 18% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$133 13.1%

Changzhou

$104 14% 22.3% $30

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$98 9.6%

Changzhou

$72 9.7% 26.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$72 7.1%

Changzhou

$76 10.3% 6% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$66 6.5%

Changzhou

$50 6.7% 24.8% $16

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Changzhou

$19 2.5% 21.9% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Hangzhou and $285 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hangzhou pays 46% 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: $26.00 in Hangzhou vs $29.00 in Changzhou. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $192, with Changzhou cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Changzhou

🕒 Local time

10:37 10:37 AM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

5,278,121

💱 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 Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Hangzhou, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Hangzhou versus $285 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Hangzhou. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Changzhou – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $26.00 in Hangzhou. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $741 in Changzhou versus $1,020 in Hangzhou, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Hangzhou. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou 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 Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Hangzhou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.