Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Rui'an

For one person, living is cheaper in Rui'an: $714 a month against $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Rui'an
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Rui'an Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,023

/mo nomad

Rui'an

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Rui'an

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

A single person spends $1,023 per month in Hangzhou vs $714 in Rui'an, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,023
Rui'an $714

A couple spends around $1,574 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,133 in Rui'an, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,574
Rui'an $1,133

A family of three spends $2,125 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,552 in Rui'an, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,125
Rui'an $1,552

Hangzhou costs about 43% more than Rui'an, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ¥25.52

$2.83 ¥18.91

34.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.78 ¥172

$21.42 ¥143

20.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 ¥31.55

$4.92 ¥32.91

-4.07%

Cappuccino

$3.44 ¥23.02

$3.11 ¥20.77

10.61%

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

$0.61 ¥4.07

$0.43 ¥2.89

41.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$0.29 ¥1.96

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.93

$0.92 ¥6.17

29.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$2.06 ¥13.79

9.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.20

$1.85 ¥12.39

-1.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$1.61 ¥10.73

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.38

$0.95 ¥6.34

15.79%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥13.89

$1.55 ¥10.38

34.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 ¥129

$12.91 ¥86.3

49.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ¥25.18

$3.24 ¥21.64

16.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 ¥67.5

$10.13 ¥67.7

-0.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥15.84

$1.79 ¥11.95

32.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.20 ¥8.03

11.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.06

$1.54 ¥10.32

-2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.27

$1.14 ¥7.64

35.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$0.69 ¥4.61

34.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$0.92 ¥6.14

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.55

$0.60 ¥4.00

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.83

$0.55 ¥3.70

3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ¥28.08

$3.22 ¥21.50

30.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 ¥91.6

$10.43 ¥69.7

31.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.32

$0.74 ¥4.93

8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.65 ¥11.04

4.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$0.27 ¥1.80

129.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.96 ¥120

$16.57 ¥111

8.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ¥12.89

$1.38 ¥9.21

39.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.32 ¥2.17

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 ¥46.52

$6.72 ¥44.95

3.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.17

$1.13 ¥7.53

21.24%

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

$19.1K ¥127.9K

$19.4K ¥130.0K

-1.56%

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

$18.8K ¥125.9K

$17.4K ¥116.1K

8.38%

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

$47.48 ¥317

$44.23 ¥296

7.35%

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

$10.02 ¥67.0

$10.04 ¥67.1

-0.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.74 ¥98.6

$11.61 ¥77.6

26.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ¥341

$41.34 ¥276

23.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 ¥129

$13.91 ¥93.0

39.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.77

$5.77 ¥38.60

28.94%

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

$578 ¥3,863

$341 ¥2,279

69.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K ¥241.5K

$16.5K ¥110.6K

118.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ¥388

$43.27 ¥289

34.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.37 ¥283

$30.29 ¥203

39.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 ¥578

$71.0 ¥475

21.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ¥736

$72.3 ¥484

52.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,167

$275 ¥1,839

126.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ¥2,605

$192 ¥1,285

102.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 ¥8,019

$600 ¥4,010

99.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,495

$362 ¥2,418

85.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,857 ¥52.5K

$3,056 ¥20.4K

157.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,778 ¥25.3K

$2,008 ¥13.4K

88.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 ¥10.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.89

-10.03%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rui'an: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$390 38.1%

Rui'an

$192 26.9% 50.7% $197

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$237 23.2%

Rui'an

$199 27.8% 16.2% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.1%

Rui'an

$98 13.7% 27% $36

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 9.8%

Rui'an

$86 12.1% 13.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$72 7.1%

Rui'an

$66 9.2% 8.8% $6.4

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$66 6.4%

Rui'an

$53 7.4% 19.8% $13

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Rui'an

$21 2.9% 15% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $623 in Hangzhou versus $275 in Rui'an. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Hangzhou versus $21.00 in Rui'an. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $199 – making Rui'an the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Rui'an

🕒 Local time

03:13 3:13 AM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

213,600

💱 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 Rui'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 43%, 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 $1,071 in Rui'an. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 19% 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 $21.00 in Rui'an. 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 Rui'an, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Hangzhou at $1,023. In Rui'an it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rui'an – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Rui'an. 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.