Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Zhangjiagang

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangjiagang: $740 a month against $1,020 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Zhangjiagang
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Zhangjiagang Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,020

/mo nomad

Zhangjiagang

🇨🇳 China

$740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Zhangjiagang

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

A single person spends $1,020 per month in Hangzhou vs $740 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,020
Zhangjiagang $740

A couple spends around $1,566 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,149 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,566
Zhangjiagang $1,149

A family of three spends $2,112 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,558 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,112
Zhangjiagang $1,558

Hangzhou costs about 38% more than Zhangjiagang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hangzhou and Zhangjiagang are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 24% lower, Zhangjiagang 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 ¥25.22

$3.80 ¥25.42

-0.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.72 ¥172

$22.20 ¥148

15.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ¥30.33

$4.98 ¥33.31

-8.84%

Cappuccino

$3.35 ¥22.38

$3.04 ¥20.32

10.20%

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

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.49 ¥3.29

20.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.24

$0.27 ¥1.81

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 ¥7.90

$1.51 ¥10.09

-21.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.75

$2.22 ¥14.84

-0.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.44

$2.08 ¥13.89

-10.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.60

$2.09 ¥13.95

-23.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 ¥7.51

$0.84 ¥5.64

33.33%

Eggs

$2.01 ¥13.42

$1.36 ¥9.09

47.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.92 ¥127

$10.64 ¥71.1

77.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 ¥25.25

$2.93 ¥19.59

29.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.01 ¥66.9

$9.12 ¥61.0

9.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 ¥15.23

$2.04 ¥13.65

11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.43

$1.29 ¥8.64

9.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$1.80 ¥12.03

-15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$1.11 ¥7.39

39.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.93

$0.90 ¥5.99

-1.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$0.90 ¥6.03

8.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.45

$0.87 ¥5.80

-22.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.61

$0.53 ¥3.51

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 ¥27.40

$3.64 ¥24.37

12.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 ¥89.0

$13.44 ¥89.9

-1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.22

$0.94 ¥6.27

-17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.02

$1.56 ¥10.44

5.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ¥4.21

$0.30 ¥1.99

110.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.61 ¥118

$17.58 ¥118

0.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ¥12.76

$1.76 ¥11.78

8.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$0.39 ¥2.60

-2.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.65

$8.76 ¥58.6

-16.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.37 ¥9.14

-4.38%

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

$19.3K ¥129.2K

$19.2K ¥128.2K

0.75%

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

$18.3K ¥122.5K

$16.9K ¥112.7K

8.72%

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

$47.44 ¥317

$55.8 ¥373

-14.91%

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

$10.05 ¥67.2

$7.76 ¥51.9

29.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.50 ¥97.0

$7.32 ¥48.97

98.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 ¥344

$36.15 ¥242

42.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.69 ¥132

$16.01 ¥107

22.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 ¥48.94

$6.07 ¥40.60

20.59%

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

$568 ¥3,801

$418 ¥2,793

36.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K ¥242.1K

$22.3K ¥149.4K

62.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥398

$42.99 ¥287

38.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 ¥277

$34.04 ¥228

21.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 ¥576

$65.7 ¥439

31.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ¥728

$88.5 ¥591

23.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ¥4,182

$280 ¥1,869

123.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ¥2,628

$194 ¥1,295

102.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 ¥8,061

$719 ¥4,808

67.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,490

$324 ¥2,167

107.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,023 ¥53.6K

$3,266 ¥21.8K

145.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,742 ¥25.0K

$1,685 ¥11.3K

122.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,557 ¥10.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.42

2.34%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 10, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiagang: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$393 38.5%

Zhangjiagang

$194 26.2% 50.7% $199

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$234 22.9%

Zhangjiagang

$204 27.6% 12.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$133 13.1%

Zhangjiagang

$104 14.1% 21.9% $29

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$98 9.6%

Zhangjiagang

$97 13.1% 1.2% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$72 7.1%

Zhangjiagang

$71 9.6% 1.6% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$66 6.5%

Zhangjiagang

$48 6.5% 27% $18

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Zhangjiagang

$22 3% 6.1% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Hangzhou versus $280 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 $26.00 in Hangzhou versus $22.00 in Zhangjiagang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $204 – making Zhangjiagang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Zhangjiagang

🕒 Local time

12:27 12:27 PM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

1,432,044

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 Zhangjiagang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,530 per month in Hangzhou and $1,110 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.

Groceries cost about 15% 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 $26.00 in Hangzhou and $22.00 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 $740, than in Hangzhou at $1,020. 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.