Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Shaoxing

For one person, living is cheaper in Shaoxing: $751 a month against $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Shaoxing
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Shaoxing Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,023

/mo nomad

Shaoxing

🇨🇳 China

$751

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Shaoxing

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

A single person spends $1,023 per month in Hangzhou vs $751 in Shaoxing, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,023
Shaoxing $751

A couple spends around $1,574 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,204 in Shaoxing, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,574
Shaoxing $1,204

A family of three spends $2,125 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,657 in Shaoxing, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,125
Shaoxing $1,657

Hangzhou costs about 36% more than Shaoxing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Hangzhou and Shaoxing are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 24% lower, Shaoxing 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ¥25.46

$3.72 ¥24.81

2.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.78 ¥172

$22.22 ¥148

16.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 ¥31.48

$5.31 ¥35.43

-11.11%

Cappuccino

$3.44 ¥22.96

$2.58 ¥17.20

33.33%

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

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.62 ¥4.15

-1.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.21

$0.36 ¥2.38

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.91

$1.15 ¥7.66

3.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.07

$2.19 ¥14.64

3.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$1.80 ¥11.97

1.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.19

$1.96 ¥13.05

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.36

$0.75 ¥4.99

46.67%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥13.86

$1.73 ¥11.55

20.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 ¥128

$11.67 ¥77.8

64.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ¥25.12

$3.31 ¥22.05

13.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 ¥67.3

$10.59 ¥70.6

-4.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥15.81

$1.78 ¥11.90

33.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.95

$1.72 ¥11.50

-22.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.03

$1.72 ¥11.46

-12.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.25

$1.09 ¥7.28

41.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.18

$0.83 ¥5.51

12.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.16

$0.91 ¥6.07

1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.54

$0.65 ¥4.36

4.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.58 ¥3.87

-1.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ¥28.01

$3.44 ¥22.92

22.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 ¥91.4

$10.61 ¥70.8

29.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.31

$0.77 ¥5.13

3.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥11.44

$1.62 ¥10.81

6.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.23 ¥1.54

169.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.96 ¥120

$19.86 ¥133

-9.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ¥12.86

$1.99 ¥13.25

-3.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.43 ¥2.87

-11.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 ¥46.41

$9.04 ¥60.3

-23.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.15

$1.34 ¥8.93

2.24%

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

$19.1K ¥127.6K

$19.5K ¥129.8K

-1.67%

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

$18.8K ¥125.6K

$18.0K ¥120.4K

4.33%

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

$47.48 ¥317

$47.33 ¥316

0.32%

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

$10.02 ¥66.9

$7.90 ¥52.7

26.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.74 ¥98.3

$9.14 ¥61.0

61.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ¥340

$15.57 ¥104

227.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 ¥129

$6.79 ¥45.32

184.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.65

$6.82 ¥45.51

9.09%

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

$578 ¥3,854

$844 ¥5,630

-31.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K ¥241.0K

$24.9K ¥166.3K

44.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ¥387

$40.55 ¥270

43.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.37 ¥283

$31.99 ¥213

32.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 ¥577

$76.9 ¥513

12.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ¥734

$106 ¥708

3.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,157

$434 ¥2,898

43.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ¥2,599

$222 ¥1,484

75.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 ¥8,000

$596 ¥3,977

101.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,485

$450 ¥3,000

49.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,857 ¥52.4K

$6,407 ¥42.7K

22.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,778 ¥25.2K

$3,558 ¥23.7K

6.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 ¥10.6K

$901 ¥6,009

75.66%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Shaoxing: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$390 38.1%

Shaoxing

$222 29.6% 42.9% $167

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$237 23.2%

Shaoxing

$205 27.2% 13.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.1%

Shaoxing

$115 15.3% 13.9% $19

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 9.8%

Shaoxing

$91 12.1% 9.5% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$72 7.1%

Shaoxing

$64 8.6% 10.9% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$66 6.4%

Shaoxing

$29 3.9% 55.7% $37

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Shaoxing

$25 3.3% 2.6% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $623 in Hangzhou versus $434 in Shaoxing. 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 76% higher in Hangzhou. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou versus $22 in Shaoxing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $205 – making Shaoxing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Shaoxing

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

4,912,239

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 Shaoxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,535 per month in Hangzhou and $1,127 in Shaoxing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shaoxing, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $434 there versus $623 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 in Hangzhou and $22 in Shaoxing. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,023 in Hangzhou and $751 in Shaoxing, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

If budget matters most, go with Shaoxing. 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.