Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hefei and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Hefei: $768 a month against $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Hefei
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Hefei Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

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Hefei

🇨🇳 China

$768

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hefei and in Hangzhou

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hefei and in Hangzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $768 per month in Hefei vs $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Hefei $768
Hangzhou $1,023

A couple spends around $1,225 per month in Hefei vs $1,574 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Hefei $1,225
Hangzhou $1,574

A family of three spends $1,681 per month in Hefei vs $2,125 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Hefei $1,681
Hangzhou $2,125

Hefei is about 25% cheaper than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Hefei and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Hefei 43% lower, Hangzhou 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.58 ¥17.28

$3.82 ¥25.52

-32.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.44 ¥150

$25.78 ¥172

-12.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.36 ¥29.18

$4.72 ¥31.55

-7.63%

Cappuccino

$2.75 ¥18.39

$3.44 ¥23.02

-20.06%

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

$0.49 ¥3.26

$0.61 ¥4.07

-19.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.33 ¥2.22

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.09

$1.19 ¥7.93

-10.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ¥13.35

$2.26 ¥15.11

-11.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥10.84

$1.82 ¥12.20

-10.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 ¥13.75

$1.68 ¥11.22

22.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.42

$1.10 ¥7.38

-26.36%

Eggs

$1.92 ¥12.84

$2.08 ¥13.89

-7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$19.25 ¥129

-26.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 ¥32.76

$3.77 ¥25.18

29.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 ¥77.3

$10.09 ¥67.5

14.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ¥15.45

$2.37 ¥15.84

-2.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.52

$1.34 ¥8.97

28.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ¥10.95

$1.50 ¥10.06

9.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ¥10.79

$1.54 ¥10.27

4.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.37

$0.93 ¥6.20

-13.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.26

$0.92 ¥6.17

2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 ¥5.26

$0.68 ¥4.55

16.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥4.70

$0.57 ¥3.83

22.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 ¥20.59

$4.20 ¥28.08

-26.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 ¥81.3

$13.70 ¥91.6

-11.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.80 ¥5.32

16.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ¥13.28

$1.72 ¥11.47

15.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.62 ¥4.16

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.22 ¥302

$17.96 ¥120

151.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ¥8.21

$1.93 ¥12.89

-36.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.38 ¥2.56

-13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 ¥23.48

$6.96 ¥46.52

-49.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.91

$1.37 ¥9.17

-2.92%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.1K ¥127.9K

-0.56%

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

$16.9K ¥112.9K

$18.8K ¥125.9K

-10.28%

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

$48.54 ¥325

$47.48 ¥317

2.23%

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

$9.54 ¥63.8

$10.02 ¥67.0

-4.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.08 ¥80.8

$14.74 ¥98.6

-18.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.66 ¥105

$51.0 ¥341

-69.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.31 ¥102

$19.35 ¥129

-20.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 ¥42.85

$7.44 ¥49.77

-13.84%

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

$236 ¥1,581

$578 ¥3,863

-59.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,656 ¥57.9K

$36.1K ¥241.5K

-76.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 ¥600

$58.1 ¥388

54.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.76 ¥219

$42.37 ¥283

-22.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.7 ¥419

$86.5 ¥578

-27.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.9 ¥648

$110 ¥736

-11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 ¥1,609

$623 ¥4,167

-61.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,197

$390 ¥2,605

-54.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 ¥3,558

$1,199 ¥8,019

-55.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 ¥2,270

$672 ¥4,495

-49.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,573 ¥23.9K

$7,857 ¥52.5K

-54.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,975 ¥13.2K

$3,778 ¥25.3K

-47.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,011 ¥6,763

$1,583 ¥10.6K

-36.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.15

3.5

-10.00%

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

Last update for Hefei: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hefei

$235 30.6%

Hangzhou

$237 23.2% 1.2% $2.7

Accommodation & Living

Hefei

$179 23.3%

Hangzhou

$390 38.1% 118% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Hefei

$127 16.5%

Hangzhou

$134 13.1% 5.3% $6.7

Eating Out

Hefei

$79 10.3%

Hangzhou

$100 9.8% 26.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hefei

$70 9.1%

Hangzhou

$72 7.1% 3% $2.1

Getting Around

Hefei

$49 6.4%

Hangzhou

$24 2.4% 50.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Hefei

$28 3.7%

Hangzhou

$66 6.4% 132% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $241 in Hefei versus $623 in Hangzhou. 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 56% 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 $22.00 in Hefei versus $26.00 in Hangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $237 – making Hefei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hefei

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

18:51 6:51 PM

Same time as Hefei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,369,881

10,360,000

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hefei Hangzhou 330 km

From you

Hefei
Hangzhou

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

Hefei vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,151 per month in Hefei and $1,535 in Hangzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 1% 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 $22.00 in Hefei and $26.00 in Hangzhou. 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 Hefei, where all-in costs run around $768, than in Hangzhou at $1,023. In Hefei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hefei – 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 Hefei. 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.