Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Dalian Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Dalian

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Hangzhou versus $901 in Dalian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,574 in Hangzhou versus $1,441 in Dalian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,117 in Hangzhou versus $1,981 in Dalian.

Living in Hangzhou is roughly 15% more expensive than in Dalian, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hangzhou 25% lower, Dalian 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 ¥24.25

$3.48 ¥23.31

4.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.19 ¥175

$25.63 ¥172

2.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 ¥31.04

$5.22 ¥34.97

-11.30%

Cappuccino

$3.45 ¥23.10

$3.33 ¥22.30

3.60%

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

$0.60 ¥4.04

$0.49 ¥3.30

22.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.05

$0.23 ¥1.53

34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.26

$1.00 ¥6.71

53.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.14

$1.52 ¥10.17

48.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ¥12.55

$1.63 ¥10.95

14.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥11.30

$1.42 ¥9.50

19.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.12

$0.95 ¥6.36

11.58%

Eggs

$2.15 ¥14.38

$1.66 ¥11.10

29.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.92 ¥127

$20.33 ¥136

-6.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.82 ¥25.56

$3.36 ¥22.50

13.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.19 ¥68.3

$13.00 ¥87.1

-21.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ¥15.75

$1.28 ¥8.55

83.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 ¥9.07

$1.12 ¥7.53

20.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 ¥10.64

$1.95 ¥13.07

-18.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.05

$0.84 ¥5.65

78.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$0.83 ¥5.56

10.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.25

$0.66 ¥4.40

40.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$1.36 ¥9.11

-54.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.64 ¥4.25

-10.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 ¥27.16

$3.83 ¥25.65

6.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.15 ¥88.1

$14.48 ¥97.0

-9.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.26

$1.05 ¥7.03

-24.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.06

$1.86 ¥12.46

-11.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 ¥3.87

$0.29 ¥1.92

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.70 ¥119

$29.39 ¥197

-39.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 ¥13.27

$1.52 ¥10.17

30.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$0.43 ¥2.87

-16.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥47.04

$4.00 ¥26.79

75.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.63

$1.25 ¥8.38

3.20%

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

$19.6K ¥131.4K

$19.4K ¥129.7K

1.30%

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

$18.5K ¥124.2K

$17.8K ¥119.4K

4.04%

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

$48.56 ¥325

$63.8 ¥427

-23.83%

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

$10.10 ¥67.6

$9.39 ¥62.9

7.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.39 ¥96.4

$13.51 ¥90.5

6.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 ¥351

$40.85 ¥274

28.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.47 ¥130

$35.98 ¥241

-45.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 ¥51.2

$6.52 ¥43.64

17.18%

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

$571 ¥3,827

$405 ¥2,713

41.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.4K ¥243.8K

$18.5K ¥123.6K

97.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ¥390

$73.1 ¥489

-20.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.10 ¥282

$54.6 ¥366

-22.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ¥568

$111 ¥743

-23.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥742

$121 ¥813

-8.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ¥4,160

$410 ¥2,746

51.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 ¥2,595

$239 ¥1,603

61.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 ¥8,058

$710 ¥4,754

69.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 ¥4,311

$440 ¥2,945

46.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,644 ¥51.2K

$2,657 ¥17.8K

187.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,653 ¥24.5K

$1,598 ¥10.7K

128.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,555 ¥10.4K

$1,103 ¥7,385

41.00%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Dalian: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Hangzhou and $410 in Dalian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hangzhou pays 41% 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 $26.00 in Dalian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $238 per month, with Hangzhou cheaper across the board.

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 Dalian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hangzhou and Dalian differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $901 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $621 in Hangzhou versus $410 in Dalian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $571 in Hangzhou versus $405 in Dalian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hangzhou pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $901 in Dalian versus $1,031 in Hangzhou, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dalian but tight or insufficient in Hangzhou. The gap between the two cities makes Dalian 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 Dalian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Hangzhou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.