Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Hefei

For one person, living is cheaper in Hefei: $768 a month against $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Hefei
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Hefei Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,023

/mo nomad

Hefei

🇨🇳 China

$768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Hefei

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

A single person spends $1,023 per month in Hangzhou vs $768 in Hefei, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,023
Hefei $768

A couple spends around $1,574 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,225 in Hefei, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,574
Hefei $1,225

A family of three spends $2,125 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,681 in Hefei, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,125
Hefei $1,681

Hangzhou costs about 33% more than Hefei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Hangzhou and Hefei are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 24% lower, Hefei 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ¥25.52

$2.58 ¥17.28

48.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.78 ¥172

$22.44 ¥150

14.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 ¥31.55

$4.36 ¥29.18

8.26%

Cappuccino

$3.44 ¥23.02

$2.75 ¥18.39

25.09%

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

$0.61 ¥4.07

$0.49 ¥3.26

24.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$0.27 ¥1.80

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.93

$1.06 ¥7.09

12.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$2.00 ¥13.35

13.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.20

$1.62 ¥10.84

12.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$2.06 ¥13.75

-18.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.38

$0.81 ¥5.42

35.80%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥13.89

$1.92 ¥12.84

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 ¥129

$14.10 ¥94.3

36.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ¥25.18

$4.90 ¥32.76

-23.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 ¥67.5

$11.57 ¥77.3

-12.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥15.84

$2.31 ¥15.45

2.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.72 ¥11.52

-22.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.06

$1.64 ¥10.95

-8.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.27

$1.61 ¥10.79

-4.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$0.80 ¥5.37

16.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$0.94 ¥6.26

-2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.55

$0.79 ¥5.26

-13.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.83

$0.70 ¥4.70

-18.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ¥28.08

$3.08 ¥20.59

36.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 ¥91.6

$12.16 ¥81.3

12.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.32

$0.93 ¥6.21

-13.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.99 ¥13.28

-13.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$0.31 ¥2.09

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.96 ¥120

$45.22 ¥302

-60.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ¥12.89

$1.23 ¥8.21

56.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.33 ¥2.20

15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 ¥46.52

$3.51 ¥23.48

98.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.17

$1.33 ¥8.91

3.01%

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

$19.1K ¥127.9K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

0.56%

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

$18.8K ¥125.9K

$16.9K ¥112.9K

11.46%

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

$47.48 ¥317

$48.54 ¥325

-2.18%

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

$10.02 ¥67.0

$9.54 ¥63.8

5.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.74 ¥98.6

$12.08 ¥80.8

22.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ¥341

$15.66 ¥105

225.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 ¥129

$15.31 ¥102

26.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.77

$6.41 ¥42.85

16.07%

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

$578 ¥3,863

$236 ¥1,581

144.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K ¥241.5K

$8,656 ¥57.9K

317.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ¥388

$89.7 ¥600

-35.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.37 ¥283

$32.76 ¥219

29.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 ¥578

$62.7 ¥419

37.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ¥736

$96.9 ¥648

13.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,167

$241 ¥1,609

158.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ¥2,605

$179 ¥1,197

117.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 ¥8,019

$532 ¥3,558

125.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,495

$340 ¥2,270

98.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,857 ¥52.5K

$3,573 ¥23.9K

119.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,778 ¥25.3K

$1,975 ¥13.2K

91.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 ¥10.6K

$1,011 ¥6,763

56.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.15

11.11%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hefei: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$390 38.1%

Hefei

$179 23.3% 54.1% $211

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$237 23.2%

Hefei

$235 30.6% 1.1% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.1%

Hefei

$127 16.5% 5% $6.7

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 9.8%

Hefei

$79 10.3% 21.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$72 7.1%

Hefei

$70 9.1% 2.9% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$66 6.4%

Hefei

$28 3.7% 56.8% $37

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Hefei

$49 6.4% 103% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $623 in Hangzhou versus $241 in Hefei. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 56% higher in Hangzhou, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Hangzhou versus $22.00 in Hefei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $235 – making Hefei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Hefei

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

9,369,881

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Hefei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,535 per month in Hangzhou and $1,151 in Hefei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 1% more in Hangzhou, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Hangzhou and $22.00 in Hefei. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hefei, where all-in costs run around $768, than in Hangzhou at $1,023. In Hefei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hefei – 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 Hefei. 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.