Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Tianjin

For one person, living is cheaper in Tianjin: $854 a month against $985 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Tianjin
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Tianjin Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Tianjin

🇨🇳 China

$854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Tianjin

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

A single person spends $985 per month in Hangzhou vs $854 in Tianjin, rent included.

Hangzhou $985
Tianjin $854

A couple spends around $1,533 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,361 in Tianjin, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,533
Tianjin $1,361

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,868 in Tianjin, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,080
Tianjin $1,868

Hangzhou costs about 15% more than Tianjin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Hangzhou and Tianjin are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 28% lower, Tianjin 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.81

$4.18 ¥27.81

-10.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.03 ¥173

$24.41 ¥162

6.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ¥31.15

$5.85 ¥38.91

-20.00%

Cappuccino

$3.48 ¥23.18

$4.06 ¥27.00

-14.29%

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

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.47 ¥3.16

29.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.28 ¥1.88

17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.09

$1.00 ¥6.63

22.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥14.82

$1.76 ¥11.68

26.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.22

$1.44 ¥9.58

27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.72

$2.34 ¥15.58

-31.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.33

$1.67 ¥11.11

-34.13%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥14.02

$1.32 ¥8.81

59.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 ¥127

$14.78 ¥98.3

28.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 ¥24.90

$3.74 ¥24.92

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.29 ¥68.5

$9.76 ¥65.0

5.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ¥15.44

$1.64 ¥10.88

41.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.54 ¥10.23

-12.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.11

$1.76 ¥11.72

-13.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.18 ¥7.87

29.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.23

$0.89 ¥5.93

5.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$1.17 ¥7.77

-19.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.18

$0.68 ¥4.50

-7.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.71 ¥4.72

-22.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥26.76

$5.40 ¥35.94

-25.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 ¥89.1

$13.65 ¥90.9

-1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.12

$1.03 ¥6.88

-25.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.98

$2.55 ¥16.96

-35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.31 ¥2.06

51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.73 ¥118

$8.82 ¥58.7

101.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ¥13.05

$1.70 ¥11.29

15.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 ¥46.48

$6.34 ¥42.21

10.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.75

$1.26 ¥8.41

4.76%

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

$19.7K ¥131.3K

$19.1K ¥127.4K

3.02%

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

$18.4K ¥122.3K

$17.9K ¥119.3K

2.55%

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

$48.04 ¥320

$93.1 ¥620

-48.41%

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

$10.04 ¥66.8

$6.38 ¥42.44

57.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.02 ¥100.0

$7.71 ¥51.3

94.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ¥351

$17.02 ¥113

210.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥133

$10.54 ¥70.2

89.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ¥50.2

$7.56 ¥50.3

-0.13%

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

$577 ¥3,837

$1,293 ¥8,605

-55.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K ¥238.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 ¥401

$56.1 ¥373

7.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.24 ¥281

$28.58 ¥190

47.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ¥559

$111 ¥742

-24.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥736

$139 ¥924

-20.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 ¥3,674

$362 ¥2,406

52.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥2,341

$213 ¥1,418

65.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥7,433

$868 ¥5,776

28.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ¥4,170

$462 ¥3,076

35.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,668 ¥51.0K

$4,773 ¥31.8K

60.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,819 ¥25.4K

$2,240 ¥14.9K

70.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,582 ¥10.5K

$1,173 ¥7,804

34.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.54

-1.13%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tianjin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$352 35.7%

Tianjin

$213 24.9% 39.4% $139

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$235 23.9%

Tianjin

$226 26.5% 3.8% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.6%

Tianjin

$151 17.7% 12.8% $17

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 10.2%

Tianjin

$111 13% 11.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$73 7.4%

Tianjin

$107 12.6% 46.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$68 6.9%

Tianjin

$32 3.8% 52.7% $36

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$23 2.4%

Tianjin

$14 1.6% 41.8% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $552 in Hangzhou versus $362 in Tianjin. 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 35% higher in Hangzhou. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou versus $24 in Tianjin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $226 – making Tianjin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Tianjin

🕒 Local time

03:02 3:02 AM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

13,866,009

💱 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

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Between locations

Hangzhou Tianjin 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hangzhou
Tianjin

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 Tianjin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,477 per month in Hangzhou and $1,281 in Tianjin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tianjin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $362 there versus $552 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 4% 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 $24 in Tianjin. 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 $985 in Hangzhou and $854 in Tianjin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

If budget matters most, go with Tianjin. 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.