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: $908 in Hangzhou versus $816 in Dalian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,462 in Hangzhou versus $1,276 in Dalian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,017 in Hangzhou versus $1,737 in Dalian.

Living in Hangzhou is roughly 11% more expensive than Dalian, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hangzhou 32% lower, Dalian 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 ¥23.68

$3.46 ¥23.40

1.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.22 ¥178

$24.17 ¥164

8.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 ¥33.24

$4.97 ¥33.67

-1.21%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ¥22.97

$3.00 ¥20.27

13.00%

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

$0.48 ¥3.26

$0.48 ¥3.25

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.98

$0.24 ¥1.61

20.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ¥7.44

$0.86 ¥5.81

27.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥11.02

$1.50 ¥10.15

8.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ¥13.42

$1.64 ¥11.13

20.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 ¥13.32

$1.46 ¥9.90

34.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.72

$0.90 ¥6.11

10.00%

Eggs

$1.81 ¥12.27

$1.94 ¥13.12

-6.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.80 ¥114

$19.15 ¥130

-12.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.58 ¥17.48

$2.71 ¥18.33

-4.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.63 ¥65.2

$10.39 ¥70.3

-7.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ¥13.83

$1.28 ¥8.68

59.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥12.12

$1.11 ¥7.51

61.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ¥10.80

$1.27 ¥8.62

25.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.12

$0.75 ¥5.10

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.85

$0.71 ¥4.84

1.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.77

$0.77 ¥5.18

29.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.26

$0.69 ¥4.67

-8.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.62

$0.56 ¥3.82

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.90

$3.57 ¥24.19

19.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 ¥91.8

$17.59 ¥119

-22.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.67

$0.85 ¥5.73

-18.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.48

$1.48 ¥9.99

14.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ¥3.43

$0.29 ¥1.98

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.03 ¥102

$28.07 ¥190

-46.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 ¥11.97

$1.36 ¥9.23

30.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 ¥2.86

$0.40 ¥2.69

5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 ¥43.65

$3.93 ¥26.62

64.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.71

$1.17 ¥7.93

-2.56%

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

$19.5K ¥131.7K

$17.9K ¥121.1K

8.76%

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

$16.7K ¥113.4K

$16.3K ¥110.5K

2.57%

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

$45.27 ¥306

$44.59 ¥302

1.53%

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

$11.28 ¥76.3

$9.51 ¥64.4

18.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.42 ¥125

$11.15 ¥75.5

65.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 ¥406

$36.39 ¥246

64.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 ¥107

$24.47 ¥166

-35.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ¥43.48

$6.56 ¥44.41

-2.13%

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

$456 ¥3,086

$451 ¥3,052

1.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K ¥193.1K

$9,593 ¥64.9K

197.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ¥380

$56.0 ¥379

0.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 ¥237

$51.5 ¥349

-32.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 ¥488

$104 ¥706

-30.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.3 ¥632

$95.0 ¥643

-1.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,543

$360 ¥2,439

45.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ¥2,037

$205 ¥1,390

46.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 ¥7,565

$646 ¥4,371

73.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 ¥4,636

$370 ¥2,501

85.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,767 ¥52.6K

$2,695 ¥18.2K

188.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,765 ¥25.5K

$1,645 ¥11.1K

128.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,470 ¥9,952

$1,085 ¥7,347

35.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

4.18

-8.37%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: June 1, 2026

Last update for Dalian: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $523 in Hangzhou and $360 in Dalian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hangzhou pays 35% 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 $24.00 in Dalian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $222 per month, with Dalian 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 11% in total monthly costs ($908 vs $816 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hangzhou pays 35% more on average, 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: $523 in Hangzhou versus $360 in Dalian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Hangzhou versus $451 in Dalian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Hangzhou. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $816 in Dalian versus $908 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 11% less than in Hangzhou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.