Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Hangzhou: $1,020 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,020

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Shanghai

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

A single person spends $1,020 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,020
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $1,566 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,566
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $2,112 per month in Hangzhou vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,112
Shanghai $2,755

Hangzhou is about 18% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Hangzhou and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 24% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 ¥25.22

$4.56 ¥30.47

-17.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.72 ¥172

$30.21 ¥202

-14.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ¥30.33

$5.25 ¥35.13

-13.52%

Cappuccino

$3.35 ¥22.38

$3.28 ¥21.94

2.13%

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

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.57 ¥3.84

3.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.24

$0.36 ¥2.39

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 ¥7.90

$1.23 ¥8.23

-4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.75

$2.27 ¥15.18

-2.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.44

$1.84 ¥12.30

1.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.60

$1.96 ¥13.08

-18.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 ¥7.51

$1.03 ¥6.87

8.74%

Eggs

$2.01 ¥13.42

$1.67 ¥11.16

20.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.92 ¥127

$16.96 ¥113

11.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 ¥25.25

$3.19 ¥21.33

18.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.01 ¥66.9

$12.90 ¥86.3

-22.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 ¥15.23

$2.24 ¥15.00

1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.43

$1.66 ¥11.13

-15.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$2.02 ¥13.54

-24.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$1.66 ¥11.08

-6.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.93

$0.77 ¥5.17

15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.93 ¥6.21

5.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.45

$0.63 ¥4.19

6.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.61

$0.60 ¥3.99

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 ¥27.40

$3.80 ¥25.44

7.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 ¥89.0

$10.87 ¥72.7

22.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.22

$0.82 ¥5.51

-4.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.02

$1.61 ¥10.76

2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.21

$0.61 ¥4.11

3.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.61 ¥118

$29.40 ¥197

-40.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ¥12.76

$2.11 ¥14.11

-9.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$0.43 ¥2.87

-11.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.65

$9.06 ¥60.6

-19.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.33 ¥8.89

-1.50%

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

$19.3K ¥129.2K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

1.55%

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

$18.3K ¥122.5K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-2.05%

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

$47.44 ¥317

$57.8 ¥387

-17.94%

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

$10.05 ¥67.2

$8.09 ¥54.1

24.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.50 ¥97.0

$10.48 ¥70.0

38.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 ¥344

$65.7 ¥439

-21.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.69 ¥132

$17.82 ¥119

10.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 ¥48.94

$8.95 ¥59.9

-18.21%

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

$568 ¥3,801

$1,414 ¥9,451

-59.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K ¥242.1K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

30.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥398

$54.0 ¥361

10.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 ¥277

$37.09 ¥248

11.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 ¥576

$74.3 ¥496

16.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ¥728

$106 ¥706

3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ¥4,182

$1,055 ¥7,056

-40.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ¥2,628

$585 ¥3,910

-32.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 ¥8,061

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-51.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,490

$1,232 ¥8,240

-45.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,023 ¥53.6K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-42.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,742 ¥25.0K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-40.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,557 ¥10.4K

$1,711 ¥11.4K

-9.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.36

4.17%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$393 38.5%

Shanghai

$585 47% 48.8% $192

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$234 22.9%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 0.4% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$133 13.1%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 8.5% $11

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$98 9.6%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 8.2% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$72 7.1%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 6.1% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$66 6.5%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 26.4% $17

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 50.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Hangzhou versus $1,055 in Shanghai. 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 10% higher in Shanghai, 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 Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $235 – making Hangzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

24,870,895

💱 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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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Hangzhou vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,530 per month in Hangzhou and $1,865 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 0% more in Shanghai, 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 Shanghai. 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 Hangzhou, where all-in costs run around $1,020, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Hangzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hangzhou – 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 Hangzhou. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.