Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putian and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Putian: $518 a month against $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Putian
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Putian Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

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Putian

🇨🇳 China

$518

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $518 per month in Putian vs $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Putian $518
Hangzhou $1,023

A couple spends around $854 per month in Putian vs $1,574 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Putian $854
Hangzhou $1,574

A family of three spends $1,190 per month in Putian vs $2,125 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Putian $1,190
Hangzhou $2,125

Putian is about 49% cheaper than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Putian and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Putian 62% lower, Hangzhou 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 ¥14.79

$3.82 ¥25.52

-42.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.26 ¥156

$25.78 ¥172

-9.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥34.57

$4.72 ¥31.55

9.53%

Cappuccino

$2.44 ¥16.32

$3.44 ¥23.02

-29.07%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.61 ¥4.07

-29.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.33 ¥2.22

-12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.16

$1.19 ¥7.93

-35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ¥19.58

$2.26 ¥15.11

29.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$1.82 ¥12.20

-19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$1.68 ¥11.22

33.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$1.10 ¥7.38

-15.45%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.58

$2.08 ¥13.89

-24.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$19.25 ¥129

-39.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 ¥16.22

$3.77 ¥25.18

-35.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 ¥81.4

$10.09 ¥67.5

20.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 ¥17.03

$2.37 ¥15.84

7.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.49

$1.34 ¥8.97

5.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ¥11.34

$1.50 ¥10.06

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ¥13.25

$1.54 ¥10.27

28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.79

$0.93 ¥6.20

9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.86

$0.92 ¥6.17

92.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$0.68 ¥4.55

36.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.36

$0.57 ¥3.83

-12.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.31

$4.20 ¥28.08

-27.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 ¥74.8

$13.70 ¥91.6

-18.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.58

$0.80 ¥5.32

3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.72 ¥11.47

-0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 ¥4.92

$0.62 ¥4.16

19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.38 ¥150

$17.96 ¥120

24.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$1.93 ¥12.89

-21.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.38 ¥2.56

-23.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.94

$6.96 ¥46.52

0.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.37 ¥9.17

-4.38%

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

$19.4K ¥129.8K

$19.1K ¥127.9K

1.46%

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

$17.8K ¥118.8K

$18.8K ¥125.9K

-5.62%

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

$44.03 ¥294

$47.48 ¥317

-7.27%

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

$8.87 ¥59.3

$10.02 ¥67.0

-11.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.55 ¥70.6

$14.74 ¥98.6

-28.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ¥341

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.35 ¥129

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 ¥67.4

$7.44 ¥49.77

35.48%

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

$492 ¥3,286

$578 ¥3,863

-14.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.6K

$36.1K ¥241.5K

-32.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.10 ¥261

$58.1 ¥388

-32.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 ¥195

$42.37 ¥283

-31.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ¥691

$86.5 ¥578

19.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 ¥573

$110 ¥736

-22.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,167

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ¥2,605

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 ¥8,019

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ¥4,495

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 ¥17.6K

$7,857 ¥52.5K

-66.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,115 ¥7,452

$3,778 ¥25.3K

-70.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$480 ¥3,211

$1,583 ¥10.6K

-69.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.5

-1.14%

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

Last update for Putian: October 20, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Putian

$215 41.6%

Hangzhou

$237 23.2% 10.2% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Putian

$116 22.4%

Hangzhou

$134 13.1% 15.4% $18

Eating Out

Putian

$75 14.5%

Hangzhou

$100 9.8% 33.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Putian

$63 12.3%

Hangzhou

$72 7.1% 13.8% $8.8

Getting Around

Putian

$28 5.5%

Hangzhou

$24 2.4% 14.1% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Putian

$20 * 3.9%

Hangzhou

$66 6.4% 227% $46

Accommodation & Living

Putian

- * 0%

Hangzhou

$390 38.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 230% 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 $23.00 in Putian versus $26.00 in Hangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $237 – making Putian the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Putian

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

09:32 9:32 AM

Same time as Putian

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,954,000

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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Between locations

Putian Hangzhou 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Putian
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

Putian vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $777 per month in Putian and $1,535 in Hangzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 10% 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 $23.00 in Putian 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 Putian, where all-in costs run around $518, than in Hangzhou at $1,023. In Putian it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Putian – 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 Putian. 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.