Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Nanjing

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanjing: $838 a month against $985 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Nanjing
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Nanjing Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Nanjing

🇨🇳 China

$838

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Nanjing

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

A single person spends $985 per month in Hangzhou vs $838 in Nanjing, rent included.

Hangzhou $985
Nanjing $838

A couple spends around $1,533 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,317 in Nanjing, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,533
Nanjing $1,317

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,797 in Nanjing, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,080
Nanjing $1,797

Hangzhou costs about 18% more than Nanjing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hangzhou and Nanjing are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 28% lower, Nanjing 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.78

$3.84 ¥25.52

-2.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.03 ¥173

$22.82 ¥152

14.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ¥31.10

$4.78 ¥31.74

-2.09%

Cappuccino

$3.48 ¥23.15

$3.17 ¥21.05

9.78%

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

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.54 ¥3.59

12.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.27 ¥1.81

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.07

$1.54 ¥10.25

-20.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥14.80

$2.27 ¥15.07

-1.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.20

$2.09 ¥13.88

-11.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.71

$2.07 ¥13.76

-22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.32

$0.91 ¥6.05

20.88%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥14.00

$1.36 ¥9.04

55.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 ¥127

$10.45 ¥69.4

82.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 ¥24.87

$2.96 ¥19.69

26.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.29 ¥68.4

$8.81 ¥58.5

16.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ¥15.41

$2.09 ¥13.90

11.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.91

$1.30 ¥8.61

3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.09

$1.81 ¥12.02

-16.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.18

$1.06 ¥7.06

44.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.22

$0.90 ¥5.96

4.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.26

$0.95 ¥6.32

-1.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.17

$0.93 ¥6.19

-32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.53 ¥3.50

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥26.72

$3.85 ¥25.60

4.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 ¥88.9

$13.42 ¥89.2

-0.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.11

$1.00 ¥6.66

-23.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.96

$1.51 ¥10.04

9.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.31 ¥2.06

51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.73 ¥118

$30.16 ¥200

-41.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ¥13.03

$1.70 ¥11.28

15.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.38 ¥2.54

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 ¥46.41

$9.16 ¥60.9

-23.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.74

$1.36 ¥9.02

-2.94%

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

$19.7K ¥131.1K

$19.6K ¥130.5K

0.49%

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

$18.4K ¥122.2K

$17.7K ¥117.4K

4.10%

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

$48.04 ¥319

$53.8 ¥358

-10.71%

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

$10.04 ¥66.7

$7.62 ¥50.6

31.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.02 ¥99.8

$7.14 ¥47.43

110.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ¥351

$28.75 ¥191

83.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥133

$34.96 ¥232

-42.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ¥50.2

$6.17 ¥41.03

22.37%

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

$577 ¥3,831

$1,461 ¥9,708

-60.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K ¥237.8K

$22.8K ¥151.8K

56.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 ¥400

$43.23 ¥287

39.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.24 ¥281

$34.43 ¥229

22.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ¥558

$64.2 ¥427

30.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥735

$88.8 ¥590

24.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 ¥3,669

$490 ¥3,254

12.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥2,337

$287 ¥1,910

22.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥7,422

$1,031 ¥6,848

8.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ¥4,164

$531 ¥3,528

18.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,668 ¥51.0K

$4,837 ¥32.1K

58.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,819 ¥25.4K

$3,107 ¥20.6K

22.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,582 ¥10.5K

$1,450 ¥9,632

9.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.42

2.34%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nanjing: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$352 35.7%

Nanjing

$287 34.3% 18.3% $64

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$235 23.9%

Nanjing

$204 24.3% 13.4% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.6%

Nanjing

$104 12.4% 22.3% $30

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 10.2%

Nanjing

$99 11.8% 1.4% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$73 7.4%

Nanjing

$69 8.2% 6.2% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$68 6.9%

Nanjing

$41 4.9% 39.4% $27

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$23 2.4%

Nanjing

$35 4.2% 49.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $552 in Hangzhou versus $490 in Nanjing. 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 9% 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 in Hangzhou versus $23 in Nanjing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $204 – making Nanjing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Nanjing

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

9,314,685

💱 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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Hangzhou vs Nanjing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 18%, 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 $1,257 in Nanjing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanjing, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $490 there versus $552 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou and $23 in Nanjing. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Nanjing. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hangzhou makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.