Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Chenzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Chenzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $896 per month in Hangzhou vs $728 in Chenzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,480 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,144 in Chenzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,064 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,560 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Hangzhou costs about 23% more than Chenzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Hangzhou and Chenzhou are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 33% lower, Chenzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 ¥23.39

$2.87 ¥19.58

19.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.99 ¥184

$21.27 ¥145

26.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥32.28

$4.98 ¥34.03

-5.02%

Cappuccino

$3.40 ¥23.24

$1.43 ¥9.75

137.76%

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

$0.52 ¥3.58

$0.46 ¥3.13

13.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$0.27 ¥1.85

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ¥7.77

$1.09 ¥7.42

4.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.48

$1.85 ¥12.67

-9.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ¥13.33

$1.99 ¥13.61

-2.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.41

$2.23 ¥15.25

-12.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.84

$0.73 ¥4.98

36.99%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.75

$1.67 ¥11.37

2.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.31 ¥118

$15.71 ¥107

10.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.62 ¥17.87

$3.10 ¥21.14

-15.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 ¥65.5

$8.78 ¥60.0

9.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ¥14.01

$0.54 ¥3.71

279.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.27

$1.09 ¥7.44

65.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ¥11.21

$0.69 ¥4.71

137.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.29

$1.13 ¥7.72

7.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥5.03

$0.95 ¥6.51

-22.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.39

$1.41 ¥9.66

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.33

$0.47 ¥3.24

34.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.60

$0.39 ¥2.67

35.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ¥28.19

$2.78 ¥18.97

48.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 ¥88.4

$12.51 ¥85.5

3.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.70

$0.94 ¥6.45

-26.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥11.75

$1.41 ¥9.64

21.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ¥3.27

$0.29 ¥2.00

65.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.19 ¥104

$16.74 ¥114

-9.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 ¥12.13

$1.27 ¥8.69

40.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 ¥2.89

$0.26 ¥1.75

61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 ¥44.03

$8.54 ¥58.3

-24.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.96

$1.12 ¥7.62

4.46%

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

$19.8K ¥135.3K

$20.7K ¥141.2K

-4.19%

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

$17.0K ¥116.4K

$21.5K ¥147.1K

-20.87%

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

$45.21 ¥309

$42.88 ¥293

5.43%

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

$11.43 ¥78.1

$12.53 ¥85.6

-8.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.49 ¥126

$14.53 ¥99.2

27.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.5 ¥406

$41.09 ¥281

44.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.30 ¥111

$13.76 ¥94.0

18.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 ¥42.15

$5.90 ¥40.28

4.58%

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

$444 ¥3,035

$316 ¥2,161

40.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.6K ¥195.4K

$7,346 ¥50.2K

289.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ¥390

$84.7 ¥578

-32.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 ¥240

$31.01 ¥212

13.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 ¥497

$83.1 ¥567

-12.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 ¥640

$68.9 ¥471

36.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 ¥3,508

$276 ¥1,883

86.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ¥2,117

$191 ¥1,303

62.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 ¥7,839

$589 ¥4,022

94.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 ¥4,514

$356 ¥2,434

85.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,931 ¥54.2K

$2,867 ¥19.6K

176.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,931 ¥26.9K

$2,040 ¥13.9K

92.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,378 ¥9,415

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.89

-1.54%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: April 11, 2026

Last update for Chenzhou: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $514 in Hangzhou versus $276 in Chenzhou. 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 $27 in Hangzhou versus $21 in Chenzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $203 – making Chenzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chenzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $896 in Hangzhou, $728 in Chenzhou – roughly 23% apart. Hangzhou costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,344 per month in Hangzhou and $1,092 in Chenzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 10% less in Chenzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $444 per month in Hangzhou and $316 in Chenzhou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chenzhou, where all-in costs run around $728, than in Hangzhou at $896. In Chenzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chenzhou – 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 Chenzhou. 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.