Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Zhoushan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhoushan: $623 a month against $985 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Zhoushan
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Zhoushan Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Zhoushan

🇨🇳 China

$623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Zhoushan

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

A single person spends $985 per month in Hangzhou vs $623 in Zhoushan, rent included.

Hangzhou $985
Zhoushan $623

A couple spends around $1,533 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,008 in Zhoushan, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,533
Zhoushan $1,008

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,394 in Zhoushan, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,080
Zhoushan $1,394

Hangzhou costs about 58% more than Zhoushan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Hangzhou and Zhoushan are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 28% lower, Zhoushan 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.81

$3.32 ¥22.12

12.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.03 ¥173

$18.60 ¥124

39.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ¥31.14

$4.09 ¥27.24

14.43%

Cappuccino

$3.48 ¥23.18

$2.96 ¥19.67

17.57%

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

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.47 ¥3.10

29.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.27 ¥1.81

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.08

$0.77 ¥5.13

58.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥14.82

$1.93 ¥12.81

15.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.22

$1.80 ¥12.01

2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.72

$2.19 ¥14.57

-26.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.33

$0.87 ¥5.81

26.44%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥14.01

$1.06 ¥7.02

99.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 ¥127

$13.59 ¥90.5

40.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 ¥24.90

$3.48 ¥23.16

7.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.29 ¥68.5

$11.07 ¥73.7

-7.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ¥15.44

$1.53 ¥10.15

51.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.23 ¥8.15

8.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.11

$1.53 ¥10.17

-0.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.22 ¥8.10

25.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.23

$0.57 ¥3.82

64.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$0.88 ¥5.86

6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.18

$0.60 ¥3.98

5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.55 ¥3.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥26.76

$5.36 ¥35.65

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 ¥89.0

$12.10 ¥80.5

10.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.12

$0.91 ¥6.08

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.98

$2.16 ¥14.37

-23.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.29 ¥1.92

62.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.73 ¥118

$15.22 ¥101

16.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ¥13.05

$1.48 ¥9.86

32.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.42 ¥2.83

-9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 ¥46.47

$9.04 ¥60.1

-22.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.75

$1.17 ¥7.81

12.82%

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

$19.7K ¥131.3K

$19.8K ¥131.5K

-0.17%

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

$18.4K ¥122.3K

$16.0K ¥106.2K

15.21%

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

$48.04 ¥320

$36.52 ¥243

31.54%

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

$10.04 ¥66.8

$11.44 ¥76.1

-12.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.02 ¥100.0

$27.66 ¥184

-45.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ¥351

$25.05 ¥167

110.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥133

$7.59 ¥50.5

163.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ¥50.2

$6.16 ¥41.00

22.56%

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

$577 ¥3,836

$447 ¥2,971

29.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K ¥238.1K

$16.5K ¥109.5K

117.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 ¥401

$34.73 ¥231

73.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.24 ¥281

$21.39 ¥142

97.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ¥559

$64.7 ¥430

29.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥736

$45.75 ¥304

141.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 ¥3,674

$333 ¥2,214

65.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥2,341

$118 ¥786

197.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥7,432

$762 ¥5,068

46.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ¥4,170

$271 ¥1,803

131.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,668 ¥51.0K

$3,030 ¥20.2K

153.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,819 ¥25.4K

$1,988 ¥13.2K

92.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,582 ¥10.5K

$588 ¥3,914

168.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.13

11.82%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zhoushan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$352 35.7%

Zhoushan

$118 19% 66.4% $234

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$235 23.9%

Zhoushan

$212 34% 9.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.6%

Zhoushan

$75 12% 43.9% $59

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 10.2%

Zhoushan

$85 13.7% 15% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$73 7.4%

Zhoushan

$76 12.1% 3.4% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$68 6.9%

Zhoushan

$37 6% 44.9% $31

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$23 2.4%

Zhoushan

$20 3.2% 14.9% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $552 in Hangzhou versus $333 in Zhoushan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hangzhou are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou versus $19 in Zhoushan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $212 – making Zhoushan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Zhoushan

🕒 Local time

02:22 2:22 AM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

1,157,817

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 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 Zhoushan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,477 per month in Hangzhou and $934 in Zhoushan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhoushan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $333 there versus $552 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou and $19 in Zhoushan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $985 in Hangzhou and $623 in Zhoushan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Zhoushan – 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 Zhoushan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hangzhou makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.