Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Zhangjiagang Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Zhangjiagang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $896 per month in Hangzhou vs $750 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,480 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,239 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,064 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,729 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

Hangzhou costs about 20% more than Zhangjiagang, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Hangzhou and Zhangjiagang are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 33% lower, Zhangjiagang 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 ¥23.39

$3.57 ¥24.37

-4.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.99 ¥184

$26.64 ¥182

1.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥32.28

$4.81 ¥32.84

-1.66%

Cappuccino

$3.40 ¥23.24

$3.36 ¥22.94

1.19%

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

$0.52 ¥3.58

$0.52 ¥3.57

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ¥7.77

$1.08 ¥7.38

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.48

$1.63 ¥11.13

3.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ¥13.33

$2.03 ¥13.88

-3.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.41

$1.93 ¥13.18

1.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.84

$1.00 ¥6.85

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.75

$1.79 ¥12.19

-3.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.31 ¥118

$17.19 ¥117

0.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.62 ¥17.87

$2.60 ¥17.75

0.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 ¥65.5

$9.39 ¥64.2

2.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ¥14.01

$1.99 ¥13.56

3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.27

$1.75 ¥11.93

2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ¥11.21

$1.58 ¥10.78

3.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.29

$1.26 ¥8.59

-3.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥5.03

$0.76 ¥5.20

-2.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.39

$0.92 ¥6.28

2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.33

$0.67 ¥4.61

-5.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.60

$0.53 ¥3.63

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ¥28.19

$4.07 ¥27.77

1.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 ¥88.4

$13.40 ¥91.5

-3.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.70

$0.70 ¥4.81

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥11.75

$1.64 ¥11.21

4.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ¥3.27

$0.29 ¥2.00

65.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.19 ¥104

$16.72 ¥114

-9.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 ¥12.13

$1.76 ¥12.03

1.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 ¥2.89

$0.26 ¥1.77

61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 ¥44.03

$6.10 ¥41.63

5.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.96

$1.17 ¥8.01

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

$19.8K ¥135.3K

$19.1K ¥130.7K

3.48%

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

$17.0K ¥116.4K

$16.8K ¥114.7K

1.43%

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

$45.21 ¥309

$43.69 ¥298

3.48%

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

$11.43 ¥78.1

$11.60 ¥79.2

-1.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.49 ¥126

$11.33 ¥77.4

63.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.5 ¥406

$41.07 ¥281

44.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.30 ¥111

$13.85 ¥94.6

17.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 ¥42.15

$6.14 ¥41.90

0.49%

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

$444 ¥3,035

$442 ¥3,019

0.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.6K ¥195.4K

$17.2K ¥117.3K

66.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ¥390

$58.0 ¥396

-1.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 ¥240

$34.83 ¥238

0.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 ¥497

$72.4 ¥495

0.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 ¥640

$93.3 ¥638

0.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 ¥3,508

$275 ¥1,879

86.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ¥2,117

$191 ¥1,305

62.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 ¥7,839

$590 ¥4,027

94.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 ¥4,514

$361 ¥2,466

83.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,931 ¥54.2K

$3,613 ¥24.7K

119.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,931 ¥26.9K

$1,791 ¥12.2K

119.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,378 ¥9,415

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

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

Last update for Hangzhou: April 11, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiagang: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $514 in Hangzhou versus $275 in Zhangjiagang. 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 $27 in Hangzhou versus $27 in Zhangjiagang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $223 – making Hangzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Zhangjiagang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 20%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,344 per month in Hangzhou and $1,124 in Zhangjiagang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhangjiagang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Hangzhou – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Hangzhou and $27.00 in Zhangjiagang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhangjiagang, where all-in costs run around $750, than in Hangzhou at $896. In Zhangjiagang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhangjiagang – 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 Zhangjiagang. 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.