Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jiaxing and Hikkaduwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Hikkaduwa: $509 a month against $632 in Jiaxing, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Jiaxing outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

31

Cost of Living Index in Jiaxing
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Jiaxing Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
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Hikkaduwa Living Index

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Jiaxing

🇨🇳 China

$632

/mo nomad

Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jiaxing and in Hikkaduwa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $632 in Jiaxing versus $509 in Hikkaduwa.

Jiaxing $632
Hikkaduwa $509

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,070 in Jiaxing versus $826 in Hikkaduwa.

Jiaxing $1,070
Hikkaduwa $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,507 in Jiaxing versus $1,144 in Hikkaduwa.

Jiaxing $1,507
Hikkaduwa $1,144

Living in Jiaxing is roughly 24% more expensive than in Hikkaduwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jiaxing 53% lower, Hikkaduwa 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ¥20.39

$4.45 LKR 1,475

-31.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.17 ¥148

$24.59 LKR 8,146

-9.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.41 ¥29.46

$7.57 LKR 2,508

-41.74%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥20.27

$2.50 LKR 828

21.20%

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

$0.48 ¥3.18

$0.72 LKR 238

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.27 LKR 90.1

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 ¥5.22

$2.16 LKR 716

-63.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.17

$3.01 LKR 998

-24.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ¥12.69

$1.57 LKR 520

21.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.06

$0.53 LKR 175

267.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.59 ¥3.93

$0.80 LKR 266

-26.25%

Eggs

$1.92 ¥12.81

$1.60 LKR 530

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.45 ¥49.78

$14.00 LKR 4,637

-46.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$4.88 LKR 1,618

-32.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ¥50.2

$7.26 LKR 2,406

3.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$6.84 LKR 2,265

-76.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.65

$0.85 LKR 281

34.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.25

$4.46 LKR 1,479

-79.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$1.23 LKR 406

-44.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 ¥3.93

$1.02 LKR 339

-42.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.79

$0.82 LKR 270

6.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 ¥3.37

$0.92 LKR 306

-45.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.44 LKR 145

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 ¥34.27

$10.32 LKR 3,419

-50.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.85 ¥79.3

$13.70 LKR 4,537

-13.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.26

$1.89 LKR 625

-58.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ¥8.77

$3.01 LKR 998

-56.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ¥1.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.27 ¥109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ¥7.80

$0.38 LKR 126

207.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 ¥2.83

$0.37 LKR 123

13.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 ¥51.2

$0.88 LKR 293

770.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.40

$1.33 LKR 441

-5.26%

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

$19.5K ¥130.7K

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

-48.23%

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

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-52.50%

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

$36.33 ¥243

$54.8 LKR 18.2K

-33.73%

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

$11.38 ¥76.1

$4.14 LKR 1,371

174.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.30 ¥35.46

$21.01 LKR 6,960

-74.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.96 ¥254

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.30 ¥48.79

Cinema Ticket

$5.15 ¥34.42

$4.45 LKR 1,475

15.73%

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

$430 ¥2,876

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

1043.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ¥84.0K

$1,227 LKR 406.4K

923.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.13 ¥235

$18.35 LKR 6,078

91.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.43 ¥143

$16.80 LKR 5,565

27.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.5 ¥425

$77.6 LKR 25.7K

-18.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.38 ¥303

$42.92 LKR 14.2K

5.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 ¥1,883

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 ¥1,178

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$743 ¥4,971

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 ¥3,039

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,818 ¥25.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,051 ¥13.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$737 ¥4,926

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

12.69

-75.33%

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

Last update for Jiaxing: October 10, 2026

Last update for Hikkaduwa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jiaxing

$176 27.9%

Hikkaduwa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Jiaxing

$174 27.6%

Hikkaduwa

$239 46.9% 36.9% $64

Eating Out

Jiaxing

$86 13.5%

Hikkaduwa

$109 21.4% 27.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Jiaxing

$74 11.8%

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8% 5.9% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jiaxing

$53 8.4%

Hikkaduwa

$80 15.7% 50.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Jiaxing

$48 7.6%

Hikkaduwa

$8.9 * 1.8% 81.6% $39

Getting Around

Jiaxing

$20 3.2%

Hikkaduwa

$2.2 * 0.4% 89% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $22.00 in Jiaxing vs $25.00 in Hikkaduwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $239 per month, with Jiaxing cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Jiaxing

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

21:47 9:47 PM

2 h 30 min behind Jiaxing

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,563,700

101,342

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Jiaxing Hikkaduwa 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Jiaxing
Hikkaduwa

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

Jiaxing vs Hikkaduwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hikkaduwa is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and transport. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $948 in Jiaxing and $763 in Hikkaduwa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Jiaxing pay roughly 37% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $632 per month in Jiaxing versus $509 in Hikkaduwa – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Hikkaduwa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Hikkaduwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Jiaxing. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.