Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Ningbo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ningbo: $691 a month against $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Ningbo
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Ningbo Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,023

/mo nomad

Ningbo

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Ningbo

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

A single person spends $1,023 per month in Hangzhou vs $691 in Ningbo, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,023
Ningbo $691

A couple spends around $1,574 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,179 in Ningbo, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,574
Ningbo $1,179

A family of three spends $2,125 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,668 in Ningbo, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,125
Ningbo $1,668

Hangzhou costs about 48% more than Ningbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hangzhou and Ningbo are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 24% lower, Ningbo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ¥25.52

$2.89 ¥19.32

32.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.78 ¥172

$30.12 ¥201

-14.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 ¥31.55

$4.46 ¥29.83

5.83%

Cappuccino

$3.44 ¥23.02

$3.52 ¥23.55

-2.27%

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

$0.61 ¥4.07

$0.44 ¥2.93

38.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$0.31 ¥2.08

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.93

$1.04 ¥6.95

14.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$3.44 ¥23.00

-34.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.20

$1.74 ¥11.65

4.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$1.16 ¥7.79

44.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.38

$0.70 ¥4.66

57.14%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥13.89

$1.56 ¥10.46

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 ¥129

$15.18 ¥101

26.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ¥25.18

$3.67 ¥24.53

2.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 ¥67.5

$8.78 ¥58.7

14.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥15.84

$1.07 ¥7.13

121.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.56 ¥10.42

-14.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.06

$1.57 ¥10.52

-4.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.27

$1.22 ¥8.13

26.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$0.62 ¥4.12

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$0.70 ¥4.69

31.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.55

$0.65 ¥4.32

4.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ¥28.08

$4.61 ¥30.79

-8.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 ¥91.6

$8.03 ¥53.7

70.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.32

$0.81 ¥5.43

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.50 ¥10.04

14.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$0.31 ¥2.08

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.96 ¥120

$16.67 ¥111

7.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ¥12.89

$1.68 ¥11.21

14.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.35 ¥2.31

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 ¥46.52

$7.16 ¥47.90

-2.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.17

$1.33 ¥8.88

3.01%

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

$19.1K ¥127.9K

$19.6K ¥131.1K

-2.46%

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

$18.8K ¥125.9K

$18.1K ¥121.3K

3.81%

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

$47.48 ¥317

$51.9 ¥347

-8.53%

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

$10.02 ¥67.0

$6.67 ¥44.63

50.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.74 ¥98.6

$7.80 ¥52.1

88.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ¥341

$25.44 ¥170

100.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 ¥129

$14.16 ¥94.7

36.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.77

$8.05 ¥53.8

-7.58%

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

$578 ¥3,863

$932 ¥6,234

-38.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K ¥241.5K

$15.9K ¥106.6K

126.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ¥388

$63.8 ¥427

-9.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.37 ¥283

$26.75 ¥179

58.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 ¥578

$62.2 ¥416

39.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ¥736

$52.6 ¥351

109.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,167

$358 ¥2,394

74.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ¥2,605

$184 ¥1,230

111.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 ¥8,019

$766 ¥5,121

56.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,495

$469 ¥3,136

43.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,857 ¥52.5K

$3,784 ¥25.3K

107.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,778 ¥25.3K

$2,053 ¥13.7K

84.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 ¥10.6K

$1,193 ¥7,977

32.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.18

10.06%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ningbo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$390 38.1%

Ningbo

$184 26.6% 52.8% $206

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$237 23.2%

Ningbo

$191 27.7% 19.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.1%

Ningbo

$92 13.4% 30.9% $41

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 9.8%

Ningbo

$94 13.6% 6.3% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$72 7.1%

Ningbo

$66 9.6% 8.1% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$66 6.4%

Ningbo

$42 6% 37% $24

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Ningbo

$21 3.1% 12.2% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $623 in Hangzhou versus $358 in Ningbo. 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 33% 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 $30.00 in Ningbo. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Hangzhou vs $191 in Ningbo – so Ningbo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Ningbo

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

7,605,689

💱 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 Ningbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,535 per month in Hangzhou and $1,036 in Ningbo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 24% 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 $30.00 in Ningbo. 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 Ningbo, where all-in costs run around $691, than in Hangzhou at $1,023. In Ningbo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ningbo – 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 Ningbo. 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.