Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Xiamen

For one person, living is cheaper in Xiamen: $832 a month against $985 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Xiamen
Learn more

Xiamen Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Xiamen

🇨🇳 China

$832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Xiamen

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

A single person spends $985 per month in Hangzhou vs $832 in Xiamen, rent included.

Hangzhou $985
Xiamen $832

A couple spends around $1,533 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,337 in Xiamen, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,533
Xiamen $1,337

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,842 in Xiamen, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,080
Xiamen $1,842

Hangzhou costs about 18% more than Xiamen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hangzhou and Xiamen are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 28% lower, Xiamen 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.81

$2.93 ¥19.53

27.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.03 ¥173

$23.60 ¥157

10.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ¥31.14

$5.20 ¥34.58

-10.00%

Cappuccino

$3.48 ¥23.18

$2.57 ¥17.09

35.41%

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

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.47 ¥3.11

29.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.35 ¥2.35

-5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.08

$1.51 ¥10.08

-19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥14.82

$2.95 ¥19.61

-24.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.22

$1.47 ¥9.77

25.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.72

$2.28 ¥15.17

-29.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.33

$0.95 ¥6.31

15.79%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥14.01

$1.64 ¥10.89

28.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 ¥127

$12.02 ¥80.0

58.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 ¥24.90

$2.45 ¥16.27

52.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.29 ¥68.5

$11.76 ¥78.3

-12.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ¥15.44

$2.58 ¥17.19

-10.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.48 ¥9.82

-9.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.11

$1.67 ¥11.12

-8.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.99 ¥13.25

-23.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.23

$0.97 ¥6.49

-3.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$1.81 ¥12.06

-48.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.18

$0.93 ¥6.17

-32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.54 ¥3.62

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥26.76

$2.92 ¥19.40

37.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 ¥89.0

$11.38 ¥75.7

17.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.12

$0.79 ¥5.29

-2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.98

$1.74 ¥11.58

-5.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.16 ¥1.08

193.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.73 ¥118

$11.93 ¥79.4

48.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ¥13.05

$1.46 ¥9.69

34.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.29 ¥1.91

31.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 ¥46.47

$7.39 ¥49.16

-5.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.75

$1.33 ¥8.85

-0.75%

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

$19.7K ¥131.3K

$19.7K ¥131.4K

-0.08%

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

$18.4K ¥122.3K

$17.6K ¥116.9K

4.65%

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

$48.04 ¥320

$43.23 ¥288

11.13%

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

$10.04 ¥66.8

$8.70 ¥57.9

15.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.02 ¥100.0

$10.38 ¥69.0

44.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ¥351

$47.30 ¥315

11.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥133

$10.31 ¥68.6

93.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ¥50.2

$10.24 ¥68.2

-26.27%

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

$577 ¥3,836

$496 ¥3,303

16.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K ¥238.1K

$24.8K ¥165.0K

44.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 ¥401

$39.20 ¥261

53.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.24 ¥281

$29.55 ¥197

42.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ¥559

$107 ¥711

-21.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥736

$84.5 ¥562

30.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 ¥3,674

$352 ¥2,345

56.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥2,341

$266 ¥1,769

32.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥7,432

$841 ¥5,597

32.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ¥4,170

$544 ¥3,617

15.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,668 ¥51.0K

$8,588 ¥57.1K

-10.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,819 ¥25.4K

$4,847 ¥32.3K

-21.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,582 ¥10.5K

$1,179 ¥7,848

34.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.46

1.16%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 25, 2026

Last update for Xiamen: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$352 35.7%

Xiamen

$266 32% 24.4% $86

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$235 23.9%

Xiamen

$217 26.1% 7.8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.6%

Xiamen

$117 14.1% 12.4% $17

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 10.2%

Xiamen

$87 10.4% 13.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$73 7.4%

Xiamen

$62 7.5% 14.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$68 6.9%

Xiamen

$68 8.2% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$23 2.4%

Xiamen

$15 1.9% 34.1% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $552 in Hangzhou versus $352 in Xiamen. 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 34% 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 Xiamen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $217 – making Xiamen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Xiamen

🕒 Local time

22:07 10:07 PM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

3,531,000

💱 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 Xiamen 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hangzhou
Xiamen

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 Xiamen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 18%, 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 $1,248 in Xiamen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Xiamen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $352 there versus $552 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou and $24 in Xiamen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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