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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $894 per month in Hangzhou vs $756 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,466 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,236 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,037 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,716 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

Hangzhou costs about 18% more than Zhangjiagang, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Hangzhou and Zhangjiagang are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 33% lower, Zhangjiagang 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.47 ¥23.44

$3.44 ¥23.25

0.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.12 ¥177

$25.97 ¥176

0.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ¥32.61

$4.72 ¥31.93

2.33%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ¥24.07

$3.42 ¥23.10

4.09%

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

$0.51 ¥3.45

$0.48 ¥3.23

6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.27 ¥1.80

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.33

$1.10 ¥7.43

-1.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.47

$1.63 ¥11.04

4.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ¥13.66

$2.00 ¥13.49

1.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 ¥12.91

$1.89 ¥12.77

1.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.42

$0.93 ¥6.29

2.15%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.58

$1.81 ¥12.25

-5.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 ¥117

$17.39 ¥118

-0.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.60 ¥17.56

$2.64 ¥17.83

-1.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ¥66.7

$9.81 ¥66.3

0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 ¥13.32

$2.02 ¥13.66

-2.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.61

$1.80 ¥12.15

-4.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 ¥10.72

$1.60 ¥10.82

-0.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.12

$1.26 ¥8.51

-4.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.92

$0.79 ¥5.32

-7.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.69

$0.98 ¥6.59

1.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.50

$0.66 ¥4.46

1.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ¥3.29

$0.53 ¥3.56

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 ¥28.12

$4.13 ¥27.89

0.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 ¥89.9

$13.29 ¥89.8

0.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.98

$0.71 ¥4.79

4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.37

$1.70 ¥11.47

-1.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ¥3.46

$0.29 ¥1.99

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ¥105

$16.93 ¥114

-8.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ¥12.44

$1.79 ¥12.11

2.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.66

$0.28 ¥1.91

39.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 ¥41.69

$6.21 ¥41.95

-0.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ¥7.84

$1.17 ¥7.92

-0.85%

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

$19.5K ¥131.8K

$19.5K ¥131.6K

0.15%

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

$16.8K ¥113.7K

$16.7K ¥113.0K

0.59%

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

$43.61 ¥295

$43.95 ¥297

-0.77%

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

$11.46 ¥77.5

$11.37 ¥76.8

0.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.09 ¥122

$11.76 ¥79.5

53.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.5 ¥395

$42.03 ¥284

39.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.25 ¥110

$14.18 ¥95.8

14.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 ¥41.79

$6.21 ¥41.99

-0.48%

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

$453 ¥3,059

$446 ¥3,012

1.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.7K ¥194.3K

$16.8K ¥113.5K

71.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 ¥387

$56.6 ¥382

1.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.35 ¥239

$35.28 ¥238

0.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 ¥476

$72.3 ¥489

-2.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 ¥625

$91.2 ¥616

1.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 ¥3,453

$282 ¥1,907

81.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 ¥2,022

$187 ¥1,261

60.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 ¥7,814

$589 ¥3,980

96.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 ¥4,552

$361 ¥2,442

86.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,615 ¥51.5K

$3,334 ¥22.5K

128.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,739 ¥25.3K

$1,681 ¥11.4K

122.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,418 ¥9,579

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiagang: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Hangzhou versus $282 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 $26.00 in Zhangjiagang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $225 – 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 18%, 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 $1,342 per month in Hangzhou and $1,134 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 1% 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 $26.00 in Hangzhou and $26.00 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 $756, than in Hangzhou at $894. 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.