Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Lanzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Lanzhou: $719 a month against $1,020 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Lanzhou
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Lanzhou Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,020

/mo nomad

Lanzhou

🇨🇳 China

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Lanzhou

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

A single person spends $1,020 per month in Hangzhou vs $719 in Lanzhou, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,020
Lanzhou $719

A couple spends around $1,566 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,143 in Lanzhou, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,566
Lanzhou $1,143

A family of three spends $2,112 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,567 in Lanzhou, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,112
Lanzhou $1,567

Hangzhou costs about 42% more than Lanzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Hangzhou and Lanzhou are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 24% lower, Lanzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 ¥25.22

$2.06 ¥13.80

83.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.72 ¥172

$28.34 ¥189

-9.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ¥30.33

$5.86 ¥39.15

-22.53%

Cappuccino

$3.35 ¥22.38

$3.12 ¥20.89

7.37%

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

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.48 ¥3.19

22.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.24

$0.29 ¥1.93

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 ¥7.90

$1.10 ¥7.35

7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.75

$2.02 ¥13.54

9.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.44

$1.77 ¥11.81

5.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.60

$1.61 ¥10.75

-1.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 ¥7.51

$0.96 ¥6.40

16.67%

Eggs

$2.01 ¥13.42

$1.60 ¥10.72

25.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.92 ¥127

$13.22 ¥88.4

43.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 ¥25.25

$3.43 ¥22.92

10.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.01 ¥66.9

$12.11 ¥81.0

-17.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 ¥15.23

$1.81 ¥12.09

25.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.43

$1.28 ¥8.56

10.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$1.49 ¥9.97

2.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$1.24 ¥8.32

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.93

$0.70 ¥4.70

27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.93 ¥6.21

5.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.45

$0.60 ¥3.99

11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.61

$0.55 ¥3.70

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 ¥27.40

$3.77 ¥25.19

8.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 ¥89.0

$11.52 ¥77.0

15.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.22

$0.83 ¥5.52

-6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.02

$1.53 ¥10.25

7.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.21

$0.29 ¥1.92

117.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.61 ¥118

$18.07 ¥121

-2.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ¥12.76

$1.48 ¥9.91

29.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$0.32 ¥2.17

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.65

$7.12 ¥47.58

2.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.46 ¥9.73

-10.27%

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

$19.3K ¥129.2K

$17.5K ¥117.2K

10.20%

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

$18.3K ¥122.5K

$15.0K ¥100.4K

22.08%

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

$47.44 ¥317

$58.0 ¥388

-18.22%

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

$10.05 ¥67.2

$8.79 ¥58.8

14.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.50 ¥97.0

$11.18 ¥74.8

29.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 ¥344

$42.33 ¥283

21.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.69 ¥132

$14.69 ¥98.2

34.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 ¥48.94

$6.29 ¥42.06

16.38%

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

$568 ¥3,801

$412 ¥2,756

37.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K ¥242.1K

$17.6K ¥117.6K

105.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥398

$42.85 ¥287

38.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 ¥277

$33.44 ¥224

23.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 ¥576

$75.6 ¥505

13.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ¥728

$74.1 ¥495

46.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ¥4,182

$295 ¥1,971

112.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ¥2,628

$168 ¥1,126

133.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 ¥8,061

$626 ¥4,186

92.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,490

$297 ¥1,986

126.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,023 ¥53.6K

$2,671 ¥17.9K

200.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,742 ¥25.0K

$1,611 ¥10.8K

132.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,557 ¥10.4K

$953 ¥6,375

63.30%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Lanzhou: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$393 38.5%

Lanzhou

$168 23.4% 57.1% $225

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$234 22.9%

Lanzhou

$209 29.1% 10.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$133 13.1%

Lanzhou

$102 14.2% 23.7% $32

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$98 9.6%

Lanzhou

$84 11.7% 14.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$72 7.1%

Lanzhou

$78 10.9% 8.3% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$66 6.5%

Lanzhou

$55 7.6% 17% $11

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Lanzhou

$22 3.1% 6.8% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Hangzhou versus $295 in Lanzhou. 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 63% 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 $28.00 in Lanzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Hangzhou vs $209 in Lanzhou – so Lanzhou wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Lanzhou

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

3,688,400

💱 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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Hangzhou Lanzhou 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Lanzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,530 per month in Hangzhou and $1,078 in Lanzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 12% 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 $28.00 in Lanzhou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Lanzhou, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Hangzhou at $1,020. In Lanzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lanzhou – 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 Lanzhou. 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.