Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Wuxi

For one person, living is cheaper in Wuxi: $751 a month against $997 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Wuxi
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Wuxi Living Index

Jump to prices

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$997

/mo nomad

Wuxi

🇨🇳 China

$751

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Wuxi

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

A single person spends $997 per month in Hangzhou vs $751 in Wuxi, rent included.

Hangzhou $997
Wuxi $751

A couple spends around $1,539 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,191 in Wuxi, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,539
Wuxi $1,191

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,631 in Wuxi, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,080
Wuxi $1,631

Hangzhou costs about 33% more than Wuxi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Hangzhou and Wuxi are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 26% lower, Wuxi 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 ¥25.36

$3.81 ¥25.34

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.68 ¥171

$24.08 ¥160

6.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 ¥30.34

$4.41 ¥29.35

3.40%

Cappuccino

$3.34 ¥22.25

$3.09 ¥20.54

8.09%

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

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.48 ¥3.17

27.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.21

$0.31 ¥2.04

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ¥9.13

$1.48 ¥9.86

-7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ¥15.73

$3.09 ¥20.60

-23.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.41

$1.90 ¥12.65

-2.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.30

$2.08 ¥13.87

-25.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.67

$1.09 ¥7.27

5.50%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥14.24

$1.85 ¥12.31

15.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.27 ¥128

$13.79 ¥91.8

39.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 ¥25.79

$3.31 ¥22.03

16.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 ¥67.1

$11.25 ¥74.9

-10.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ¥16.60

$2.65 ¥17.62

-6.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.44

$1.33 ¥8.84

6.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.69

$1.61 ¥10.73

-9.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.27

$1.18 ¥7.87

30.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.33

$0.65 ¥4.32

46.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.23

$0.87 ¥5.79

8.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.60 ¥3.97

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ¥27.40

$5.14 ¥34.19

-19.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.37 ¥89.0

$11.16 ¥74.3

19.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.44

$0.98 ¥6.55

-16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.13

$2.69 ¥17.91

-37.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.46 ¥3.07

-6.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.94 ¥119

$18.57 ¥124

-3.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.67

$1.46 ¥9.75

30.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.46

$0.42 ¥2.80

-11.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.97 ¥46.40

$8.87 ¥59.1

-21.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.26 ¥8.40

3.97%

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

$19.9K ¥132.4K

$19.8K ¥131.9K

0.42%

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

$18.6K ¥123.7K

$19.2K ¥127.9K

-3.23%

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

$47.60 ¥317

$38.57 ¥257

23.41%

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

$8.93 ¥59.4

$11.73 ¥78.1

-23.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.74 ¥98.2

$20.28 ¥135

-27.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ¥350

$47.28 ¥315

11.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.53 ¥130

$7.49 ¥49.87

160.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 ¥51.5

$6.00 ¥39.96

28.83%

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

$586 ¥3,899

$484 ¥3,225

20.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.6K ¥277.3K

$15.9K ¥105.6K

162.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 ¥391

$33.52 ¥223

75.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 ¥286

$19.78 ¥132

116.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ¥571

$64.6 ¥430

32.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥739

$42.19 ¥281

163.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$563 ¥3,749

$340 ¥2,261

65.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ¥2,418

$205 ¥1,366

76.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,469

$578 ¥3,847

94.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ¥4,165

$385 ¥2,567

62.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,523 ¥50.1K

$3,600 ¥24.0K

108.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,879 ¥25.8K

$1,949 ¥13.0K

99.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,485 ¥9,888

$1,069 ¥7,120

38.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

16.67%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: November 3, 2026

Last update for Wuxi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$363 36.4%

Wuxi

$205 27.3% 43.5% $158

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$237 23.8%

Wuxi

$223 29.7% 6.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.5%

Wuxi

$72 9.6% 46.4% $62

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 10%

Wuxi

$97 13% 2.2% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$71 7.2%

Wuxi

$71 9.4% 1% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$68 6.8%

Wuxi

$59 7.9% 12.8% $8.7

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$23 2.4%

Wuxi

$24 3.2% 2.4% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $563 in Hangzhou versus $340 in Wuxi. 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 39% 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 Wuxi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $223 – making Wuxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Wuxi

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

7,462,135

💱 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 Wuxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,496 per month in Hangzhou and $1,127 in Wuxi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wuxi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $340 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 $24 in Wuxi. 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 $751 in Wuxi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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