Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Handan

For one person, living is cheaper in Handan: $691 a month against $985 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Handan
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Handan Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Handan

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Handan

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

A single person spends $985 per month in Hangzhou vs $691 in Handan, rent included.

Hangzhou $985
Handan $691

A couple spends around $1,533 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,040 in Handan, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,533
Handan $1,040

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,390 in Handan, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,080
Handan $1,390

Hangzhou costs about 43% more than Handan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hangzhou and Handan are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 28% lower, Handan 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.81

$1.83 ¥12.17

103.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.03 ¥173

$17.67 ¥118

47.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ¥31.15

$4.45 ¥29.63

5.17%

Cappuccino

$3.48 ¥23.18

$2.68 ¥17.82

29.85%

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

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.42 ¥2.82

45.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.23 ¥1.53

43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.09

$0.71 ¥4.75

71.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥14.82

$1.48 ¥9.83

50.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.22

$1.52 ¥10.10

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.72

$0.73 ¥4.86

120.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.33

$0.73 ¥4.88

50.68%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥14.02

$0.98 ¥6.49

115.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 ¥127

$11.99 ¥79.8

58.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 ¥24.90

$2.97 ¥19.78

25.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.29 ¥68.5

$11.18 ¥74.4

-7.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ¥15.44

$1.41 ¥9.39

64.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$0.63 ¥4.17

112.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.11

$1.44 ¥9.57

5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.14 ¥7.61

34.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.23

$0.31 ¥2.08

203.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$0.31 ¥2.06

203.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.18

$0.56 ¥3.75

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.38 ¥2.54

44.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥26.76

$3.74 ¥24.86

7.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 ¥89.1

$10.07 ¥67.0

32.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.12

$0.70 ¥4.69

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.98

$1.36 ¥9.05

21.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.31 ¥2.08

51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.73 ¥118

$18.24 ¥121

-2.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ¥13.05

$0.94 ¥6.25

108.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.27 ¥1.81

40.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 ¥46.48

$4.44 ¥29.53

57.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.75

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

$19.7K ¥131.3K

$19.5K ¥130.0K

1.02%

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

$18.4K ¥122.3K

$14.9K ¥99.0K

23.55%

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

$48.04 ¥320

$73.0 ¥486

-34.16%

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

$10.04 ¥66.8

$4.58 ¥30.47

119.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.02 ¥100.0

$5.09 ¥33.88

195.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ¥351

$41.16 ¥274

28.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥133

$17.11 ¥114

16.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ¥50.2

$4.40 ¥29.30

71.59%

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

$577 ¥3,837

$213 ¥1,419

170.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K ¥238.2K

$19.9K ¥132.5K

79.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 ¥401

$30.04 ¥200

100.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.24 ¥281

$42.53 ¥283

-0.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ¥559

$45.47 ¥303

84.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥736

$69.3 ¥461

59.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 ¥3,674

$294 ¥1,955

87.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥2,341

$212 ¥1,413

65.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥7,433

$660 ¥4,395

69.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ¥4,170

$338 ¥2,246

85.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,668 ¥51.0K

$2,801 ¥18.6K

173.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,819 ¥25.4K

$2,092 ¥13.9K

82.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,582 ¥10.5K

$651 ¥4,331

143.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

16.67%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 25, 2026

Last update for Handan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$352 35.7%

Handan

$212 30.7% 39.6% $139

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$235 23.9%

Handan

$171 24.7% 27.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.6%

Handan

$84 12.2% 36.9% $49

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 10.2%

Handan

$69 10% 30.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$73 7.4%

Handan

$83 12% 13% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$68 6.9%

Handan

$50 7.2% 26.4% $18

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$23 2.4%

Handan

$22 3.2% 7.2% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $552 in Hangzhou versus $294 in Handan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hangzhou are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou versus $18 in Handan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $171 – making Handan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Handan

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

9,413,990

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Hangzhou Handan 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hangzhou
Handan

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 Handan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,477 per month in Hangzhou and $1,037 in Handan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Handan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $294 there versus $552 in Hangzhou.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou and $18 in Handan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $985 in Hangzhou and $691 in Handan. That’s a gap of about 43%.

Families tend to lean toward Handan – 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 Handan. 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.