Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Zhuhai

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhuhai: $787 a month against $997 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Zhuhai
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Zhuhai Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$997

/mo nomad

Zhuhai

🇨🇳 China

$787

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Zhuhai

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

A single person spends $997 per month in Hangzhou vs $787 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Hangzhou $997
Zhuhai $787

A couple spends around $1,539 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,308 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,539
Zhuhai $1,308

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,828 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,080
Zhuhai $1,828

Hangzhou costs about 27% more than Zhuhai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hangzhou and Zhuhai are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 26% lower, Zhuhai 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 ¥25.36

$2.74 ¥18.27

39.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.68 ¥171

$30.04 ¥200

-14.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 ¥30.34

$5.23 ¥34.82

-12.81%

Cappuccino

$3.34 ¥22.25

$3.19 ¥21.22

4.70%

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

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.50 ¥3.34

22.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.21

$0.32 ¥2.16

3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ¥9.13

$1.23 ¥8.16

11.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ¥15.73

$2.16 ¥14.38

9.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.41

$1.58 ¥10.49

17.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.30

$1.31 ¥8.69

18.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.67

$1.14 ¥7.60

0.88%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥14.24

$1.64 ¥10.89

30.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.27 ¥128

$4.30 ¥28.61

348.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 ¥25.79

$2.29 ¥15.22

69.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 ¥67.1

$3.87 ¥25.76

160.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ¥16.60

$1.31 ¥8.69

90.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.44

$0.58 ¥3.83

144.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.69

$0.44 ¥2.91

231.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.27

$1.47 ¥9.78

4.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.33

$0.73 ¥4.88

30.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.23

$0.47 ¥3.11

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.32

$0.29 ¥1.91

124.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.44 ¥2.93

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ¥27.40

$2.95 ¥19.63

39.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.37 ¥89.0

$3.72 ¥24.80

259.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.44

$0.58 ¥3.88

41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.13

$1.78 ¥11.86

-6.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.15 ¥0.98

186.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.94 ¥119

$9.11 ¥60.7

96.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.67

$1.47 ¥9.79

29.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.46

$0.38 ¥2.51

-2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.97 ¥46.40

$7.24 ¥48.21

-3.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.25 ¥8.32

4.80%

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

$19.9K ¥132.4K

$15.5K ¥103.2K

28.36%

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

$18.6K ¥123.7K

$13.6K ¥90.7K

36.38%

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

$47.60 ¥317

$57.0 ¥380

-16.51%

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

$8.93 ¥59.4

$9.84 ¥65.5

-9.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.74 ¥98.2

$16.64 ¥111

-11.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ¥350

$82.8 ¥551

-36.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.53 ¥130

$32.05 ¥213

-39.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 ¥51.5

$7.63 ¥50.8

1.31%

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

$586 ¥3,899

$525 ¥3,493

11.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.6K ¥277.3K

$40.3K ¥268.3K

3.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 ¥391

$29.72 ¥198

97.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 ¥286

$40.26 ¥268

6.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ¥571

$73.5 ¥489

16.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥739

$82.6 ¥550

34.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$563 ¥3,749

$438 ¥2,917

28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ¥2,418

$283 ¥1,881

28.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,469

$905 ¥6,024

23.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ¥4,165

$655 ¥4,358

-4.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,523 ¥50.1K

$4,619 ¥30.8K

62.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,879 ¥25.8K

$2,911 ¥19.4K

33.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,485 ¥9,888

$1,072 ¥7,135

38.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.36

4.17%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: November 3, 2026

Last update for Zhuhai: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$363 36.4%

Zhuhai

$283 35.9% 22.2% $81

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$237 23.8%

Zhuhai

$118 15.1% 50.1% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.5%

Zhuhai

$102 12.9% 24.3% $33

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 10%

Zhuhai

$90 11.4% 10% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$71 7.2%

Zhuhai

$83 10.6% 17.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$68 6.8%

Zhuhai

$98 12.5% 44.1% $30

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$23 2.4%

Zhuhai

$13 1.7% 44.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $563 in Hangzhou versus $438 in Zhuhai. 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 39% higher in Hangzhou. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou versus $30 in Zhuhai. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Hangzhou vs $118 in Zhuhai – so Zhuhai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Zhuhai

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

2,207,090

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Hangzhou Zhuhai 1,110 km ≈ 2 h 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 Zhuhai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,496 per month in Hangzhou and $1,180 in Zhuhai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhuhai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $438 there versus $563 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 101% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou and $30 in Zhuhai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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