Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Dalian

For one person, living is cheaper in Dalian: $917 a month against $985 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hangzhou outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

48

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Dalian
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Dalian Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Dalian

🇨🇳 China

$917

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Dalian

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $985 in Hangzhou versus $917 in Dalian.

Hangzhou $985
Dalian $917

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,533 in Hangzhou versus $1,453 in Dalian.

Hangzhou $1,533
Dalian $1,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,080 in Hangzhou versus $1,989 in Dalian.

Hangzhou $2,080
Dalian $1,989

Living in Hangzhou is roughly 7% more expensive than in Dalian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hangzhou 28% lower, Dalian 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.78

$3.66 ¥24.33

1.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.03 ¥173

$25.01 ¥166

4.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ¥31.10

$5.38 ¥35.77

-13.01%

Cappuccino

$3.48 ¥23.15

$3.43 ¥22.79

1.46%

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

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.48 ¥3.18

27.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.23 ¥1.52

43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.07

$0.99 ¥6.56

23.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥14.80

$1.51 ¥10.04

47.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.20

$1.64 ¥10.89

12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.71

$1.50 ¥9.93

7.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.32

$0.95 ¥6.32

15.79%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥14.00

$1.57 ¥10.45

34.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 ¥127

$20.12 ¥134

-5.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 ¥24.87

$3.50 ¥23.29

6.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.29 ¥68.4

$12.81 ¥85.1

-19.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ¥15.41

$1.28 ¥8.54

81.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.91

$1.09 ¥7.24

22.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.09

$1.97 ¥13.06

-22.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.18

$0.89 ¥5.93

71.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.22

$0.89 ¥5.91

5.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.26

$0.69 ¥4.57

36.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.17

$1.31 ¥8.69

-51.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.63 ¥4.18

-12.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥26.72

$3.83 ¥25.42

4.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 ¥88.9

$15.01 ¥99.8

-10.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.11

$1.12 ¥7.45

-31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.96

$1.86 ¥12.34

-11.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.29 ¥1.92

62.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.73 ¥118

$29.71 ¥197

-40.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ¥13.03

$1.54 ¥10.24

27.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.43 ¥2.86

-11.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 ¥46.41

$4.24 ¥28.19

64.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.74

$1.27 ¥8.43

3.94%

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

$19.7K ¥131.1K

$19.2K ¥127.6K

2.77%

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

$18.4K ¥122.2K

$17.3K ¥115.2K

6.08%

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

$48.04 ¥319

$66.0 ¥438

-27.19%

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

$10.04 ¥66.7

$9.51 ¥63.2

5.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.02 ¥99.8

$13.65 ¥90.7

10.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ¥351

$40.42 ¥269

30.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥133

$36.60 ¥243

-45.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ¥50.2

$6.94 ¥46.14

8.79%

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

$577 ¥3,831

$403 ¥2,675

43.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K ¥237.8K

$20.6K ¥136.9K

73.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 ¥400

$76.0 ¥505

-20.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.24 ¥281

$55.9 ¥372

-24.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ¥558

$112 ¥745

-25.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥735

$121 ¥807

-8.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 ¥3,669

$406 ¥2,699

35.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥2,337

$238 ¥1,581

47.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥7,422

$701 ¥4,660

59.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ¥4,164

$450 ¥2,988

39.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,668 ¥51.0K

$2,636 ¥17.5K

190.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,819 ¥25.4K

$1,644 ¥10.9K

132.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,582 ¥10.5K

$1,077 ¥7,158

46.89%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Dalian: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$352 35.7%

Dalian

$238 26% 32.4% $114

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$235 23.9%

Dalian

$239 26.1% 1.7% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.6%

Dalian

$164 17.9% 23% $31

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 10.2%

Dalian

$97 10.6% 2.6% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$73 7.4%

Dalian

$89 9.7% 21.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$68 6.9%

Dalian

$54 5.9% 20% $14

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$23 2.4%

Dalian

$35 3.8% 47.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $552 in Hangzhou and $406 in Dalian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hangzhou pays 47% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Hangzhou vs $25 in Dalian. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $239, with Hangzhou cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Dalian

🕒 Local time

23:24 11:24 PM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

7,450,785

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Hangzhou Dalian 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hangzhou
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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 Dalian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $985 in Hangzhou and $917 in Dalian, so Dalian is about 7% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 47% 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: $552 in Hangzhou versus $406 in Dalian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hangzhou runs roughly 40% less than in Dalian. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $985 per month in Hangzhou versus $917 in Dalian – Dalian is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Dalian gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Dalian is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hangzhou, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Dalian wins on affordability, Hangzhou on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.