Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

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

Hangzhou, China
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Hangzhou
🇨🇳 China
$985
/mo nomad
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
🇨🇳 China
$708
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

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

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

  • Hangzhou $985
  • Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $708

A couple spends around $1,533 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,174 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

  • Hangzhou $1,533
  • Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,174

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,639 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

  • Hangzhou $2,080
  • Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,639

Hangzhou costs about 39% more than Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hangzhou
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.73 ¥24.78
$3.71 ¥24.64
0.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.03 ¥173
$25.88 ¥172
0.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.68 ¥31.10
$4.68 ¥31.13
-
Cappuccino
$3.48 ¥23.15
$3.18 ¥21.13
9.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.61 ¥4.05
$0.44 ¥2.93
38.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ¥2.20
$0.33 ¥2.20
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.22 ¥8.07
$0.88 ¥5.83
38.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 ¥14.80
$1.49 ¥9.88
49.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hangzhou
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 ¥12.20
$1.82 ¥12.09
1.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 ¥10.71
$1.19 ¥7.88
35.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.10 ¥7.32
$0.87 ¥5.79
26.44%
Eggs
$2.11 ¥14.00
$1.99 ¥13.22
6.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.06 ¥127
$19.03 ¥126
0.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.74 ¥24.87
$3.78 ¥25.13
-1.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.29 ¥68.4
$6.11 ¥40.60
68.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.32 ¥15.41
$2.28 ¥15.16
1.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.34 ¥8.91
$1.40 ¥9.29
-4.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.52 ¥10.09
$1.48 ¥9.86
2.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.53 ¥10.18
$1.32 ¥8.79
15.91%
Potato (1kg)
$0.94 ¥6.22
$0.92 ¥6.12
2.17%
Onion (1kg)
$0.94 ¥6.26
$0.94 ¥6.28
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ¥4.17
$0.67 ¥4.43
-5.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ¥3.65
$0.58 ¥3.85
-5.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.02 ¥26.72
$3.68 ¥24.48
9.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.38 ¥88.9
$13.30 ¥88.4
0.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ¥5.11
$0.82 ¥5.42
-6.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 ¥10.96
$1.52 ¥10.13
8.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Hangzhou
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.47 ¥3.13
$0.29 ¥1.91
62.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$17.73 ¥118
$16.68 ¥111
6.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.96 ¥13.03
$1.96 ¥13.03
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 ¥2.55
$0.36 ¥2.37
5.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.98 ¥46.41
$7.05 ¥46.83
-0.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 ¥8.74
$1.23 ¥8.19
7.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K ¥131.1K
$17.6K ¥117.2K
11.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.4K ¥122.2K
$18.1K ¥120.6K
1.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hangzhou
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$48.04 ¥319
$18.87 ¥125
154.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.04 ¥66.7
$10.02 ¥66.6
0.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.02 ¥99.8
$11.05 ¥73.4
35.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hangzhou
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.8 ¥351
$59.0 ¥392
-10.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.00 ¥133
$15.56 ¥103
28.53%
Cinema Ticket
$7.55 ¥50.2
$7.46 ¥49.57
1.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hangzhou
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$577 ¥3,831
$299 ¥1,987
92.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.8K ¥237.8K
$17.7K ¥117.9K
101.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hangzhou
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.2 ¥400
$45.39 ¥302
32.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.24 ¥281
$41.76 ¥277
1.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.0 ¥558
$59.8 ¥397
40.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111 ¥735
$59.6 ¥396
85.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hangzhou
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$552 ¥3,669
$260 ¥1,725
112.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$352 ¥2,337
$172 ¥1,140
105.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,117 ¥7,422
$604 ¥4,011
85.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$627 ¥4,164
$369 ¥2,453
69.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,668 ¥51.0K
$2,998 ¥19.9K
155.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,819 ¥25.4K
$1,945 ¥12.9K
96.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hangzhou
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,582 ¥10.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.5
3.5
-

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 25, 2026

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hangzhou
$352
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
$172 51.2% $180
Groceries & Markets
Hangzhou
$235
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
$216 8.1% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Hangzhou
$134
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
$93 30.5% $41
Eating Out
Hangzhou
$100
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
$92 7.6% $7.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hangzhou
$73
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
$40 45.4% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Hangzhou
$68
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
$74 8.9% $6
Getting Around
Hangzhou
$23
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
$22 8.2% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $552 in Hangzhou versus $260 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. 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 $26 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Hangzhou vs $216 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu – so Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Hangzhou
🇨🇳 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
🕒 Local time
16:14 4:14 PM
16:14 4:14 PM
Same time as Hangzhou
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,360,000
831,113
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hangzhou Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 160 km
From you
  • Hangzhou
  • Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu cheaper than Hangzhou?
Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,477 per month in Hangzhou and $1,063 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $260 there versus $552 in Hangzhou.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 6% less in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do food prices compare in Hangzhou and in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu?
Groceries cost about 9% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is Hangzhou or Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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