Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Quanzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Quanzhou: $812 a month against $997 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Hangzhou, China
Quanzhou, China
Hangzhou
🇨🇳 China
$997
/mo nomad
Quanzhou
🇨🇳 China
$812
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Quanzhou

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

A single person spends $997 per month in Hangzhou vs $812 in Quanzhou, rent included.

  • Hangzhou $997
  • Quanzhou $812

A couple spends around $1,539 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,195 in Quanzhou, rent included.

  • Hangzhou $1,539
  • Quanzhou $1,195

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,579 in Quanzhou, rent included.

  • Hangzhou $2,080
  • Quanzhou $1,579

Hangzhou costs about 23% more than Quanzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hangzhou and Quanzhou are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 26% lower, Quanzhou 40% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hangzhou
Quanzhou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.81 ¥25.36
$2.25 ¥14.96
69.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.68 ¥171
$29.86 ¥199
-14.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.56 ¥30.33
$4.82 ¥32.10
-5.39%
Cappuccino
$3.34 ¥22.24
$3.22 ¥21.41
3.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.61 ¥4.05
$0.43 ¥2.86
41.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ¥2.21
$0.30 ¥2.02
10.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.37 ¥9.13
$2.27 ¥15.14
-39.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 ¥15.73
$2.05 ¥13.64
15.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hangzhou
Quanzhou
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 ¥12.41
$1.52 ¥10.09
22.37%
White Bread (500g)
$1.55 ¥10.30
$0.79 ¥5.27
96.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.15 ¥7.67
$0.95 ¥6.34
21.05%
Eggs
$2.14 ¥14.23
$1.55 ¥10.34
38.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.27 ¥128
$7.60 ¥50.6
153.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.87 ¥25.79
$2.33 ¥15.49
66.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.08 ¥67.1
$5.18 ¥34.50
94.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.49 ¥16.60
$1.47 ¥9.77
69.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 ¥9.44
$0.97 ¥6.44
46.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.46 ¥9.69
$0.76 ¥5.08
92.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.54 ¥10.27
$1.12 ¥7.48
37.50%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 ¥6.33
$0.43 ¥2.85
120.93%
Onion (1kg)
$0.94 ¥6.23
$0.99 ¥6.60
-5.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.65 ¥4.32
$0.17 ¥1.11
282.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ¥3.76
$0.52 ¥3.44
7.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ¥27.40
$3.18 ¥21.19
29.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.37 ¥89.0
$7.57 ¥50.4
76.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 ¥5.44
$0.93 ¥6.20
-11.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 ¥11.12
$1.33 ¥8.85
25.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Hangzhou
Quanzhou
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.43 ¥2.87
$0.29 ¥1.90
48.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$17.94 ¥119
$24.47 ¥163
-26.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.90 ¥12.67
$1.17 ¥7.82
62.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 ¥2.46
$0.34 ¥2.26
8.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.97 ¥46.40
$9.10 ¥60.6
-23.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ¥8.75
$1.20 ¥7.99
9.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.9K ¥132.4K
$17.9K ¥119.3K
10.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.6K ¥123.7K
$15.5K ¥103.3K
19.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hangzhou
Quanzhou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$47.60 ¥317
$53.3 ¥355
-10.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.93 ¥59.4
$7.78 ¥51.8
14.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.74 ¥98.1
$12.24 ¥81.5
20.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hangzhou
Quanzhou
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.6 ¥350
$54.8 ¥365
-4.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.53 ¥130
$18.85 ¥125
3.61%
Cinema Ticket
$7.73 ¥51.5
$5.91 ¥39.33
30.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hangzhou
Quanzhou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$586 ¥3,898
$517 ¥3,444
13.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$41.6K ¥277.3K
$22.3K ¥148.5K
86.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hangzhou
Quanzhou
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.8 ¥391
$20.84 ¥139
182.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.92 ¥286
$34.00 ¥226
26.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.8 ¥571
$93.3 ¥621
-8.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111 ¥739
$99.1 ¥660
12.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hangzhou
Quanzhou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$563 ¥3,748
$281 ¥1,870
100.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$363 ¥2,417
$305 ¥2,033
18.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,122 ¥7,468
$500 ¥3,331
124.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ¥4,164
$404 ¥2,691
54.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,523 ¥50.1K
$3,005 ¥20.0K
150.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,879 ¥25.8K
$1,993 ¥13.3K
94.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hangzhou
Quanzhou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,485 ¥9,887
$816 ¥5,435
81.92%
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: November 3, 2026

Last update for Quanzhou: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hangzhou
$363
Quanzhou
$305 15.9% $58
Groceries & Markets
Hangzhou
$237
Quanzhou
$137 42.1% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Hangzhou
$134
Quanzhou
$111 17.2% $23
Eating Out
Hangzhou
$100
Quanzhou
$89 10.2% $10
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hangzhou
$71
Quanzhou
$73 2.8% $2
Sport & Entertainment
Hangzhou
$68
Quanzhou
$67 2.1% $1.4
Getting Around
Hangzhou
$23
Quanzhou
$28 21.6% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $563 in Hangzhou versus $281 in Quanzhou. 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 82% higher in Hangzhou. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou versus $30 in Quanzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Hangzhou vs $137 in Quanzhou – so Quanzhou wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Hangzhou
🇨🇳 Quanzhou
🕒 Local time
18:05 6:05 PM
18:05 6:05 PM
Same time as Hangzhou
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,360,000
8,128,530
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hangzhou Quanzhou 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hangzhou
  • Quanzhou

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 Quanzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Quanzhou cheaper than Hangzhou?
Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,496 per month in Hangzhou and $1,218 in Quanzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Quanzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $281 there versus $563 in Hangzhou.
How do food prices compare in Hangzhou and in Quanzhou?
Groceries cost about 73% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Hangzhou or in Quanzhou?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou and $30 in Quanzhou. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,200 enough for either Hangzhou or Quanzhou?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $997 in Hangzhou and $812 in Quanzhou, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Hangzhou or Quanzhou more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Quanzhou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Quanzhou. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hangzhou makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Hangzhou vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?