Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Zhongshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $695 a month against $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Zhongshan
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Zhongshan Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,023

/mo nomad

Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$695

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Zhongshan

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

A single person spends $1,023 per month in Hangzhou vs $695 in Zhongshan, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,023
Zhongshan $695

A couple spends around $1,574 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,110 in Zhongshan, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,574
Zhongshan $1,110

A family of three spends $2,125 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,525 in Zhongshan, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,125
Zhongshan $1,525

Hangzhou costs about 47% more than Zhongshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Hangzhou and Zhongshan are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 24% lower, Zhongshan 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ¥25.52

$3.01 ¥20.14

26.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.78 ¥172

$24.23 ¥162

6.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 ¥31.55

$4.45 ¥29.76

6.07%

Cappuccino

$3.44 ¥23.02

$2.83 ¥18.91

21.55%

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

$0.61 ¥4.07

$0.47 ¥3.11

29.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$0.29 ¥1.91

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.93

$0.77 ¥5.13

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$1.80 ¥12.05

25.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.20

$1.53 ¥10.26

18.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$1.64 ¥10.99

2.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.38

$0.68 ¥4.56

61.76%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥13.89

$1.24 ¥8.29

67.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 ¥129

$20.87 ¥140

-7.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ¥25.18

$2.80 ¥18.72

34.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 ¥67.5

$13.54 ¥90.5

-25.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ¥15.84

$2.14 ¥14.34

10.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.08 ¥7.20

24.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.06

$0.68 ¥4.56

120.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.27

$1.46 ¥9.76

5.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$0.58 ¥3.89

60.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$0.72 ¥4.84

27.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.55

$0.43 ¥2.86

58.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.83

$0.53 ¥3.56

7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ¥28.08

$2.93 ¥19.58

43.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 ¥91.6

$11.80 ¥78.9

16.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.32

$0.69 ¥4.62

15.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.81 ¥12.12

-4.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$0.29 ¥1.91

113.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.96 ¥120

$15.11 ¥101

18.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ¥12.89

$1.45 ¥9.68

33.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.41 ¥2.75

-7.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 ¥46.52

$7.01 ¥46.88

-0.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.17

$1.30 ¥8.70

5.38%

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

$19.1K ¥127.9K

$19.6K ¥131.2K

-2.53%

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

$18.8K ¥125.9K

$18.2K ¥121.6K

3.48%

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

$47.48 ¥317

$40.99 ¥274

15.83%

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

$10.02 ¥67.0

$10.15 ¥67.9

-1.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.74 ¥98.6

$12.59 ¥84.2

17.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ¥341

$67.0 ¥448

-23.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 ¥129

$7.62 ¥50.9

153.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.77

$5.81 ¥38.88

28.06%

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

$578 ¥3,863

$317 ¥2,117

82.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K ¥241.5K

$13.4K ¥89.4K

170.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ¥388

$48.42 ¥324

19.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.37 ¥283

$39.64 ¥265

6.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 ¥578

$59.9 ¥401

44.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ¥736

$75.5 ¥505

45.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,167

$210 ¥1,407

196.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ¥2,605

$125 ¥834

212.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 ¥8,019

$376 ¥2,517

218.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,495

$217 ¥1,453

209.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,857 ¥52.5K

$2,531 ¥16.9K

210.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,778 ¥25.3K

$1,509 ¥10.1K

150.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 ¥10.6K

$956 ¥6,391

65.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.35

4.48%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$390 38.1%

Zhongshan

$125 17.9% 68% $265

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$237 23.2%

Zhongshan

$226 32.5% 4.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.1%

Zhongshan

$101 14.5% 24.7% $33

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 9.8%

Zhongshan

$82 11.8% 18.4% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$72 7.1%

Zhongshan

$64 9.2% 11.8% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$66 6.4%

Zhongshan

$79 11.3% 19.3% $13

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$24 2.4%

Zhongshan

$20 2.8% 18.6% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $623 in Hangzhou versus $210 in Zhongshan. 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 66% higher in Hangzhou, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Hangzhou versus $24.00 in Zhongshan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $226 – making Zhongshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🕒 Local time

10:30 10:30 AM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

3,209,600

💱 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 Zhongshan 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Zhongshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,535 per month in Hangzhou and $1,043 in Zhongshan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 5% 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 $24.00 in Zhongshan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zhongshan, where all-in costs run around $695, than in Hangzhou at $1,023. In Zhongshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhongshan – 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 Zhongshan. 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.