Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanjing and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanjing: $846 a month against $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Nanjing
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Nanjing Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

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Nanjing

🇨🇳 China

$846

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $846 per month in Nanjing vs $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Nanjing $846
Hangzhou $1,023

A couple spends around $1,333 per month in Nanjing vs $1,574 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Nanjing $1,333
Hangzhou $1,574

A family of three spends $1,820 per month in Nanjing vs $2,125 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Nanjing $1,820
Hangzhou $2,125

Nanjing is about 17% cheaper than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nanjing and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Nanjing 38% lower, Hangzhou 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 ¥25.50

$3.82 ¥25.52

-0.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.14 ¥148

$25.78 ¥172

-14.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 ¥32.03

$4.72 ¥31.55

1.48%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.32

$3.44 ¥23.02

-11.63%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.61 ¥4.07

-18.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.33 ¥2.22

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$1.19 ¥7.93

27.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ¥14.68

$2.26 ¥15.11

-2.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ¥14.48

$1.82 ¥12.20

19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 ¥14.30

$1.68 ¥11.22

27.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$1.10 ¥7.38

-17.27%

Eggs

$1.30 ¥8.71

$2.08 ¥13.89

-37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 ¥71.4

$19.25 ¥129

-44.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 ¥20.36

$3.77 ¥25.18

-19.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 ¥57.8

$10.09 ¥67.5

-14.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 ¥13.78

$2.37 ¥15.84

-13.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$1.34 ¥8.97

-8.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$1.50 ¥10.06

19.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.37

$1.54 ¥10.27

-28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.97

$0.93 ¥6.20

-4.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.46

$0.92 ¥6.17

5.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 ¥6.37

$0.68 ¥4.55

39.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.57 ¥3.83

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.17

$4.20 ¥28.08

-10.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.41 ¥89.7

$13.70 ¥91.6

-2.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥6.34

$0.80 ¥5.32

18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ¥9.98

$1.72 ¥11.47

-13.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.62 ¥4.16

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.18 ¥202

$17.96 ¥120

68.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$1.93 ¥12.89

-12.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.57

$0.38 ¥2.56

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 ¥59.5

$6.96 ¥46.52

27.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.01

$1.37 ¥9.17

-1.46%

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

$19.2K ¥128.3K

$19.1K ¥127.9K

0.27%

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

$17.4K ¥116.1K

$18.8K ¥125.9K

-7.79%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$47.48 ¥317

16.83%

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

$7.92 ¥53.0

$10.02 ¥67.0

-20.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.09 ¥47.42

$14.74 ¥98.6

-51.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.56 ¥191

$51.0 ¥341

-44.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.80 ¥233

$19.35 ¥129

79.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.84 ¥39.03

$7.44 ¥49.77

-21.51%

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

$1,508 ¥10.1K

$578 ¥3,863

161.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K ¥152.0K

$36.1K ¥241.5K

-37.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.37 ¥290

$58.1 ¥388

-25.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 ¥227

$42.37 ¥283

-19.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥431

$86.5 ¥578

-25.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ¥592

$110 ¥736

-19.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$623 ¥4,167

-16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 ¥1,974

$390 ¥2,605

-24.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥7,467

$1,199 ¥8,019

-6.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 ¥3,732

$672 ¥4,495

-16.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,105 ¥34.1K

$7,857 ¥52.5K

-35.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,140 ¥21.0K

$3,778 ¥25.3K

-16.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,410 ¥9,430

$1,583 ¥10.6K

-10.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

3.5

-2.29%

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

Last update for Nanjing: October 18, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nanjing

$295 34.9%

Hangzhou

$390 38.1% 32% $94

Groceries & Markets

Nanjing

$205 24.2%

Hangzhou

$237 23.2% 15.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Nanjing

$104 12.3%

Hangzhou

$134 13.1% 28.9% $30

Eating Out

Nanjing

$96 11.4%

Hangzhou

$100 9.8% 3.9% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanjing

$70 8.3%

Hangzhou

$72 7.1% 2.5% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nanjing

$40 4.8%

Hangzhou

$66 6.4% 63.8% $26

Getting Around

Nanjing

$35 4.1%

Hangzhou

$24 2.4% 30.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $524 in Nanjing 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 12% 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 Nanjing versus $26.00 in Hangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $237 – making Nanjing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Nanjing

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

18:50 6:50 PM

Same time as Nanjing

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,314,685

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

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Nanjing Hangzhou 240 km

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Nanjing
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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

Nanjing vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,269 per month in Nanjing 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 Nanjing, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 Nanjing and $26.00 in Hangzhou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nanjing, where all-in costs run around $846, than in Hangzhou at $1,023. In Nanjing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nanjing – 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 Nanjing. 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.