Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Korla

For one person, living is cheaper in Korla: $650 a month against $985 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Korla
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Korla Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Korla

🇨🇳 China

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Korla

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

A single person spends $985 per month in Hangzhou vs $650 in Korla, rent included.

Hangzhou $985
Korla $650

A couple spends around $1,533 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,046 in Korla, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,533
Korla $1,046

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,442 in Korla, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,080
Korla $1,442

Hangzhou costs about 51% more than Korla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hangzhou and Korla are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 28% lower, Korla 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.81

$3.06 ¥20.39

21.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.03 ¥173

$16.36 ¥109

59.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ¥31.15

$5.13 ¥34.13

-8.77%

Cappuccino

$3.48 ¥23.18

$2.87 ¥19.08

21.25%

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

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.47 ¥3.13

29.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.26 ¥1.74

26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.09

$0.88 ¥5.83

38.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥14.82

$1.47 ¥9.78

51.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.22

$1.28 ¥8.49

43.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.72

$0.91 ¥6.07

76.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.33

$0.67 ¥4.47

64.18%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥14.02

$1.53 ¥10.21

37.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 ¥127

$6.16 ¥40.97

209.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 ¥24.90

$2.48 ¥16.50

50.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.29 ¥68.5

$9.83 ¥65.4

4.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ¥15.44

$2.04 ¥13.55

13.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.27 ¥8.43

5.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.11

$1.84 ¥12.26

-17.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$0.73 ¥4.83

109.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.23

$0.54 ¥3.63

74.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$0.61 ¥4.09

54.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.18

$0.50 ¥3.34

26.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.48 ¥3.22

14.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥26.76

$3.03 ¥20.14

32.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 ¥89.1

$10.57 ¥70.4

26.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.12

$1.14 ¥7.57

-32.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.98

$1.48 ¥9.86

11.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.26 ¥1.74

80.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.73 ¥118

$18.22 ¥121

-2.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ¥13.05

$1.34 ¥8.89

46.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.21 ¥1.40

80.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 ¥46.48

$7.63 ¥50.8

-8.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.75

$1.19 ¥7.90

10.92%

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

$19.7K ¥131.3K

$18.2K ¥121.4K

8.15%

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

$18.4K ¥122.3K

$14.1K ¥93.8K

30.42%

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

$48.04 ¥320

$68.2 ¥454

-29.54%

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

$10.04 ¥66.8

$5.25 ¥34.93

91.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.02 ¥100.0

$11.36 ¥75.6

32.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ¥351

$39.34 ¥262

34.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥133

$13.56 ¥90.2

47.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ¥50.2

$5.22 ¥34.76

44.64%

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

$577 ¥3,837

$162 ¥1,078

256.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K ¥238.2K

$9,078 ¥60.4K

294.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 ¥401

$18.07 ¥120

233.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.24 ¥281

$21.97 ¥146

92.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ¥559

$105 ¥696

-19.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥736

$44.96 ¥299

145.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 ¥3,674

$269 ¥1,792

105.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥2,341

$164 ¥1,091

114.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥7,433

$650 ¥4,327

71.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ¥4,170

$389 ¥2,591

60.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,668 ¥51.0K

$2,961 ¥19.7K

158.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,819 ¥25.4K

$1,938 ¥12.9K

97.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,582 ¥10.5K

$750 ¥4,989

111.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.39

3.24%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 25, 2026

Last update for Korla: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$352 35.7%

Korla

$164 25.2% 53.4% $188

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$235 23.9%

Korla

$160 24.7% 31.8% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.6%

Korla

$85 13.1% 36.2% $48

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 10.2%

Korla

$85 13% 15.4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$73 7.4%

Korla

$85 13% 16% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$68 6.9%

Korla

$50 7.7% 26.7% $18

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$23 2.4%

Korla

$22 3.3% 7.8% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $552 in Hangzhou versus $269 in Korla. 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 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou versus $16 in Korla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $160 – making Korla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Korla

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

23:48 11:48 PM

2 h behind Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

779,352

💱 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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Hangzhou Korla 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Korla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 51%, 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 $975 in Korla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Korla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $269 there versus $552 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 47% 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 in Hangzhou and $16 in Korla. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Korla, where all-in costs run around $650, than in Hangzhou at $985. In Korla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Korla – 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 Korla. 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.