Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Shenyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenyang: $708 a month against $985 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
Learn more

Hangzhou Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Shenyang
Learn more

Shenyang Living Index

Jump to prices

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Shenyang

🇨🇳 China

$708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Shenyang

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

A single person spends $985 per month in Hangzhou vs $708 in Shenyang, rent included.

Hangzhou $985
Shenyang $708

A couple spends around $1,533 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,046 in Shenyang, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,533
Shenyang $1,046

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,384 in Shenyang, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,080
Shenyang $1,384

Hangzhou costs about 39% more than Shenyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hangzhou and Shenyang are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 28% lower, Shenyang 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.78

$2.97 ¥19.72

25.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.03 ¥173

$22.45 ¥149

15.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ¥31.10

$5.40 ¥35.89

-13.33%

Cappuccino

$3.48 ¥23.15

$2.50 ¥16.64

39.20%

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

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.47 ¥3.10

29.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.39 ¥2.57

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.07

$0.86 ¥5.72

41.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥14.80

$1.89 ¥12.54

17.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.20

$2.00 ¥13.31

-8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.71

$2.38 ¥15.80

-32.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.32

$1.08 ¥7.18

1.85%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥14.00

$1.07 ¥7.09

97.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 ¥127

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 ¥24.87

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.29 ¥68.4

$11.93 ¥79.2

-13.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ¥15.41

$1.79 ¥11.90

29.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.91

$1.17 ¥7.75

14.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.09

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.18

$1.47 ¥9.76

4.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.22

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.26

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.17

$0.62 ¥4.12

1.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.64 ¥4.28

-14.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥26.72

$3.69 ¥24.52

8.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 ¥88.9

$16.70 ¥111

-19.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.11

$0.68 ¥4.54

13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.96

$1.13 ¥7.52

46.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.29 ¥1.90

62.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.73 ¥118

$14.87 ¥98.8

19.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ¥13.03

$1.38 ¥9.15

42.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.31 ¥2.07

22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 ¥46.41

$3.06 ¥20.31

128.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.74

$1.30 ¥8.64

1.54%

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

$19.7K ¥131.1K

$19.4K ¥128.7K

1.84%

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

$18.4K ¥122.2K

$17.5K ¥116.0K

5.34%

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

$48.04 ¥319

$76.2 ¥506

-36.93%

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

$10.04 ¥66.7

$15.50 ¥103

-35.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.02 ¥99.8

$14.86 ¥98.7

1.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ¥351

$22.51 ¥150

134.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥133

$10.68 ¥71.0

87.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ¥50.2

$5.88 ¥39.04

28.40%

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

$577 ¥3,831

$549 ¥3,650

4.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K ¥237.8K

$21.9K ¥145.4K

63.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 ¥400

$42.33 ¥281

42.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.24 ¥281

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ¥558

$60.9 ¥405

38.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥735

$70.1 ¥466

57.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 ¥3,669

$226 ¥1,499

144.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥2,337

$228 ¥1,514

54.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥7,422

$538 ¥3,578

107.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ¥4,164

$344 ¥2,287

82.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,668 ¥51.0K

$1,814 ¥12.1K

322.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,819 ¥25.4K

$1,102 ¥7,322

246.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,582 ¥10.5K

$1,082 ¥7,190

46.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

4.37

-19.91%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shenyang: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$352 35.7%

Shenyang

$228 32.2% 35.2% $124

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$235 23.9%

Shenyang

$161 * 22.7% 31.6% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.6%

Shenyang

$78 * 11% 41.7% $56

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 10.2%

Shenyang

$81 11.5% 18.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$73 7.4%

Shenyang

$107 15.1% 45.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$68 6.9%

Shenyang

$34 4.8% 49.5% $34

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$23 2.4%

Shenyang

$19 2.7% 19.3% $4.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $552 in Hangzhou versus $226 in Shenyang. 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 46% 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 Shenyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $161 – making Shenyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Shenyang

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

9,199,601

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hangzhou Shenyang 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hangzhou
Shenyang

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 Shenyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,477 per month in Hangzhou and $1,062 in Shenyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shenyang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $552 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou and $22 in Shenyang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Shenyang, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Hangzhou at $985. In Shenyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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