Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Suzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Suzhou: $888 a month against $997 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Suzhou
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Suzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$997

/mo nomad

Suzhou

🇨🇳 China

$888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Suzhou

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

A single person spends $997 per month in Hangzhou vs $888 in Suzhou, rent included.

Hangzhou $997
Suzhou $888

A couple spends around $1,539 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,464 in Suzhou, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,539
Suzhou $1,464

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $2,041 in Suzhou, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,080
Suzhou $2,041

Hangzhou costs about 12% more than Suzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Hangzhou and Suzhou are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 26% lower, Suzhou 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 ¥25.36

$4.11 ¥27.39

-7.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.68 ¥171

$30.14 ¥201

-14.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 ¥30.34

$5.24 ¥34.91

-12.98%

Cappuccino

$3.34 ¥22.25

$3.45 ¥22.96

-3.19%

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

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.73 ¥4.86

-16.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.21

$0.41 ¥2.76

-19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ¥9.13

$2.25 ¥14.97

-39.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ¥15.73

$4.46 ¥29.70

-47.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.41

$1.97 ¥13.10

-5.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.30

$2.03 ¥13.50

-23.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.67

$1.29 ¥8.61

-10.85%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥14.24

$1.78 ¥11.83

20.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.27 ¥128

$17.93 ¥119

7.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 ¥25.79

$3.38 ¥22.50

14.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 ¥67.1

$8.91 ¥59.4

13.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ¥16.60

$1.99 ¥13.27

25.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.44

$1.25 ¥8.30

13.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.69

$1.40 ¥9.35

4.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.27

$1.50 ¥9.97

2.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.33

$0.63 ¥4.18

50.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.23

$1.14 ¥7.59

-17.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.32

$0.84 ¥5.61

-22.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.61 ¥4.05

-8.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ¥27.40

$4.54 ¥30.23

-9.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.37 ¥89.0

$8.92 ¥59.4

49.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.44

$1.10 ¥7.33

-25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.13

$2.08 ¥13.86

-19.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.29 ¥1.90

48.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.94 ¥119

$36.95 ¥246

-51.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.67

$1.63 ¥10.86

16.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.46

$0.34 ¥2.24

8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.97 ¥46.40

$10.34 ¥68.9

-32.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.34 ¥8.92

-2.24%

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

$19.9K ¥132.4K

$19.2K ¥127.6K

3.74%

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

$18.6K ¥123.7K

$17.6K ¥117.5K

5.31%

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

$47.60 ¥317

$102 ¥682

-53.55%

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

$8.93 ¥59.4

$13.13 ¥87.4

-31.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.74 ¥98.2

$11.43 ¥76.1

28.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ¥350

$33.39 ¥222

57.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.53 ¥130

$18.50 ¥123

5.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 ¥51.5

$6.13 ¥40.83

26.10%

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

$586 ¥3,899

$1,248 ¥8,312

-53.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.6K ¥277.3K

$31.5K ¥209.7K

32.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 ¥391

$53.1 ¥353

10.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 ¥286

$40.64 ¥271

5.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ¥571

$83.1 ¥553

3.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥739

$86.0 ¥573

29.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$563 ¥3,749

$379 ¥2,526

48.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ¥2,418

$218 ¥1,452

66.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,469

$1,015 ¥6,758

10.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ¥4,165

$555 ¥3,698

12.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,523 ¥50.1K

$4,816 ¥32.1K

56.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,879 ¥25.8K

$2,608 ¥17.4K

48.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,485 ¥9,888

$1,488 ¥9,910

-0.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.53

-0.85%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: November 3, 2026

Last update for Suzhou: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$363 36.4%

Suzhou

$218 24.6% 39.9% $145

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$237 23.8%

Suzhou

$223 25.1% 6.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.5%

Suzhou

$118 13.3% 12% $16

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 10%

Suzhou

$115 12.9% 15.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$71 7.2%

Suzhou

$127 14.3% 78.2% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$68 6.8%

Suzhou

$46 5.1% 32.9% $22

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$23 2.4%

Suzhou

$41 4.7% 76.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $563 in Hangzhou versus $379 in Suzhou. 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 in Hangzhou versus $30 in Suzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Hangzhou vs $223 in Suzhou – so Suzhou wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Suzhou

🕒 Local time

12:52 12:52 PM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

12,748,262

💱 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 Suzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,496 per month in Hangzhou and $1,332 in Suzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Suzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $379 there versus $563 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou and $30 in Suzhou. 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 $997 in Hangzhou and $888 in Suzhou, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.