Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lhasa and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Lhasa: $738 a month against $985 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Lhasa
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Lhasa Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

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Lhasa

🇨🇳 China

$738

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lhasa 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 Lhasa and in Hangzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $738 per month in Lhasa vs $985 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Lhasa $738
Hangzhou $985

A couple spends around $1,194 per month in Lhasa vs $1,533 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Lhasa $1,194
Hangzhou $1,533

A family of three spends $1,649 per month in Lhasa vs $2,080 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Lhasa $1,649
Hangzhou $2,080

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

Both Lhasa and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Lhasa 46% lower, Hangzhou 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 ¥29.06

$3.73 ¥24.81

17.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.36 ¥202

$26.03 ¥173

16.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 ¥49.11

$4.68 ¥31.15

57.69%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ¥18.67

$3.48 ¥23.18

-19.25%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.61 ¥4.05

-29.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.05

$0.33 ¥2.20

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.85

$1.22 ¥8.09

21.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥13.84

$2.23 ¥14.82

-6.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.96

$1.84 ¥12.22

-2.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ¥11.00

$1.61 ¥10.72

2.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.73

$1.10 ¥7.33

-8.18%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.54

$2.11 ¥14.02

-25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 ¥46.59

$19.06 ¥127

-63.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 ¥20.23

$3.74 ¥24.90

-18.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ¥74.2

$10.29 ¥68.5

8.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ¥12.16

$2.32 ¥15.44

-21.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.90

$1.34 ¥8.93

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ¥10.41

$1.52 ¥10.11

2.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.53 ¥10.19

-13.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.65

$0.94 ¥6.23

-25.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.34

$0.94 ¥6.27

1.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.93

$0.63 ¥4.18

-6.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.96

$0.55 ¥3.65

7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥25.58

$4.02 ¥26.76

-4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$13.38 ¥89.1

-16.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.62

$0.77 ¥5.12

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.71

$1.65 ¥10.98

-2.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.06

$0.47 ¥3.13

-34.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.27 ¥122

$17.73 ¥118

3.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.81

$1.96 ¥13.05

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ¥2.16

$0.38 ¥2.55

-15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.33 ¥48.81

$6.98 ¥46.48

5.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.71

$1.32 ¥8.75

-0.76%

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

$19.2K ¥127.8K

$19.7K ¥131.3K

-2.68%

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

$17.7K ¥117.7K

$18.4K ¥122.3K

-3.82%

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

$56.5 ¥376

$48.04 ¥320

17.63%

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

$8.54 ¥56.8

$10.04 ¥66.8

-14.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.23 ¥74.7

$15.02 ¥100.0

-25.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.42 ¥282

$52.8 ¥351

-19.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.12 ¥101

$20.00 ¥133

-24.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 ¥42.15

$7.55 ¥50.2

-16.16%

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

$434 ¥2,885

$577 ¥3,837

-24.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥118.6K

$35.8K ¥238.2K

-50.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.74 ¥284

$60.2 ¥401

-29.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.30 ¥222

$42.24 ¥281

-21.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥502

$84.0 ¥559

-10.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 ¥508

$111 ¥736

-30.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$287 ¥1,910

$552 ¥3,674

-48.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 ¥1,256

$352 ¥2,341

-46.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ¥3,978

$1,117 ¥7,433

-46.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ¥2,482

$627 ¥4,171

-40.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,221 ¥21.4K

$7,668 ¥51.0K

-57.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,933 ¥12.9K

$3,819 ¥25.4K

-49.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,079 ¥13.8K

$1,582 ¥10.5K

31.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.5

-4.00%

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

Last update for Lhasa: October 24, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lhasa

$189 25.6%

Hangzhou

$352 35.7% 86.4% $163

Groceries & Markets

Lhasa

$188 25.5%

Hangzhou

$235 23.9% 25.1% $47

Eating Out

Lhasa

$105 14.3%

Hangzhou

$100 10.2% 5% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Lhasa

$103 13.9%

Hangzhou

$134 13.6% 30.4% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lhasa

$76 10.3%

Hangzhou

$73 7.4% 4.1% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Lhasa

$55 7.5%

Hangzhou

$68 6.9% 23.2% $13

Getting Around

Lhasa

$23 3.1%

Hangzhou

$23 2.4% 3.9% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $287 in Lhasa versus $552 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 31% higher in Lhasa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Lhasa versus $26 in Hangzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Lhasa vs $235 in Hangzhou – so Lhasa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Lhasa

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

10:13 10:13 AM

Same time as Lhasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

867,891

10,360,000

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Lhasa Hangzhou 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lhasa
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

Lhasa 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 groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,108 per month in Lhasa and $1,477 in Hangzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lhasa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $287 there versus $552 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Lhasa and $26 in Hangzhou. 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 $738 in Lhasa and $985 in Hangzhou, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Lhasa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.