Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Zhangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangzhou: $716 a month against $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Zhangzhou
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Zhangzhou Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,023

/mo nomad

Zhangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Zhangzhou

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

A single person spends $1,023 per month in Hangzhou vs $716 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,023
Zhangzhou $716

A couple spends around $1,574 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,132 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,574
Zhangzhou $1,132

A family of three spends $2,125 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,547 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,125
Zhangzhou $1,547

Hangzhou costs about 43% more than Zhangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hangzhou and Zhangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 24% lower, Zhangzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ¥25.52

$2.74 ¥18.35

39.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.78 ¥172

$21.73 ¥145

18.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 ¥31.55

$4.80 ¥32.11

-1.67%

Cappuccino

$3.44 ¥23.02

$3.05 ¥20.39

12.79%

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

$0.61 ¥4.07

$0.47 ¥3.16

29.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$0.27 ¥1.78

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.93

$0.90 ¥6.01

32.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$2.06 ¥13.75

9.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.20

$1.81 ¥12.13

0.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$1.59 ¥10.65

5.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.38

$0.90 ¥6.03

22.22%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥13.89

$1.55 ¥10.35

34.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 ¥129

$12.58 ¥84.1

53.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ¥25.18

$3.15 ¥21.08

19.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 ¥67.5

$10.14 ¥67.8

-0.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥15.84

$1.86 ¥12.45

27.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.25 ¥8.36

7.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.06

$1.48 ¥9.91

1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.27

$1.10 ¥7.38

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$0.73 ¥4.88

27.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$0.91 ¥6.11

1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.55

$0.55 ¥3.70

23.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.83

$0.56 ¥3.72

1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ¥28.08

$3.06 ¥20.49

37.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 ¥91.6

$10.62 ¥71.0

29.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.32

$0.73 ¥4.89

9.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.58 ¥10.55

8.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$0.29 ¥1.95

113.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.96 ¥120

$16.89 ¥113

6.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ¥12.89

$1.41 ¥9.43

36.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.32 ¥2.17

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 ¥46.52

$6.55 ¥43.79

6.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.17

$1.12 ¥7.48

22.32%

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

$19.1K ¥127.9K

0.04%

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

$18.8K ¥125.9K

$17.2K ¥115.3K

9.19%

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

$47.48 ¥317

$45.55 ¥305

4.24%

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

$10.02 ¥67.0

$9.74 ¥65.1

2.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.74 ¥98.6

$11.81 ¥79.0

24.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ¥341

$41.19 ¥275

23.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 ¥129

$13.66 ¥91.4

41.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.77

$5.94 ¥39.75

25.25%

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

$578 ¥3,863

$337 ¥2,251

71.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K ¥241.5K

$16.7K ¥111.4K

116.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ¥388

$43.23 ¥289

34.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.37 ¥283

$30.11 ¥201

40.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 ¥578

$71.1 ¥476

21.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ¥736

$72.8 ¥487

51.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,167

$282 ¥1,886

121.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ¥2,605

$196 ¥1,308

99.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 ¥8,019

$584 ¥3,902

105.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,495

$361 ¥2,411

86.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,857 ¥52.5K

$2,977 ¥19.9K

163.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,778 ¥25.3K

$2,003 ¥13.4K

88.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 ¥10.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.89

-10.03%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zhangzhou: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$390 38.1%

Zhangzhou

$196 27.3% 49.8% $194

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$237 23.2%

Zhangzhou

$197 27.5% 17% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.1%

Zhangzhou

$98 13.7% 26.8% $36

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 9.8%

Zhangzhou

$85 11.8% 15.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$72 7.1%

Zhangzhou

$67 9.4% 7.1% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$66 6.4%

Zhangzhou

$53 7.4% 19.5% $13

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Zhangzhou

$21 2.9% 13.2% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $623 in Hangzhou versus $282 in Zhangzhou. 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 Zhangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $197 – making Zhangzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Zhangzhou

🕒 Local time

09:32 9:32 AM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

4,809,983

💱 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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Hangzhou Zhangzhou 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Zhangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,535 per month in Hangzhou and $1,074 in Zhangzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 20% 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 Zhangzhou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhangzhou, where all-in costs run around $716, than in Hangzhou at $1,023. In Zhangzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhangzhou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Zhangzhou. 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.