Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quanzhou and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Quanzhou: $812 a month against $997 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Quanzhou
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Quanzhou Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Quanzhou

🇨🇳 China

$812

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $812 per month in Quanzhou vs $997 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Quanzhou $812
Hangzhou $997

A couple spends around $1,195 per month in Quanzhou vs $1,539 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Quanzhou $1,195
Hangzhou $1,539

A family of three spends $1,579 per month in Quanzhou vs $2,080 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Quanzhou $1,579
Hangzhou $2,080

Quanzhou is about 19% cheaper than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Quanzhou and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Quanzhou 40% lower, Hangzhou 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.25 ¥14.96

$3.81 ¥25.36

-40.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.86 ¥199

$25.68 ¥171

16.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 ¥32.10

$4.56 ¥30.34

5.70%

Cappuccino

$3.22 ¥21.41

$3.34 ¥22.25

-3.59%

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

$0.43 ¥2.86

$0.61 ¥4.05

-29.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.33 ¥2.21

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 ¥15.14

$1.37 ¥9.13

65.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.64

$2.36 ¥15.73

-13.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥10.09

$1.86 ¥12.41

-18.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ¥5.27

$1.55 ¥10.30

-49.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.34

$1.15 ¥7.67

-17.39%

Eggs

$1.55 ¥10.34

$2.14 ¥14.24

-27.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.60 ¥50.6

$19.27 ¥128

-60.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.33 ¥15.49

$3.87 ¥25.79

-39.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.18 ¥34.50

$10.08 ¥67.1

-48.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.77

$2.49 ¥16.60

-40.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.44

$1.42 ¥9.44

-31.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.08

$1.46 ¥9.69

-47.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ¥7.48

$1.54 ¥10.27

-27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 ¥2.85

$0.95 ¥6.33

-54.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.61

$0.94 ¥6.23

5.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.17 ¥1.11

$0.65 ¥4.32

-73.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ¥3.44

$0.56 ¥3.76

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ¥21.19

$4.12 ¥27.40

-22.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.57 ¥50.4

$13.37 ¥89.0

-43.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$0.82 ¥5.44

13.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 ¥8.85

$1.67 ¥11.13

-20.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.90

$0.43 ¥2.87

-32.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.47 ¥163

$17.94 ¥119

36.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ¥7.82

$1.90 ¥12.67

-38.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.26

$0.37 ¥2.46

-8.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.10 ¥60.6

$6.97 ¥46.40

30.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ¥7.99

$1.31 ¥8.75

-8.40%

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

$17.9K ¥119.3K

$19.9K ¥132.4K

-9.88%

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

$15.5K ¥103.3K

$18.6K ¥123.7K

-16.51%

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

$53.3 ¥355

$47.60 ¥317

11.87%

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

$7.78 ¥51.8

$8.93 ¥59.4

-12.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.24 ¥81.5

$14.74 ¥98.2

-16.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 ¥365

$52.6 ¥350

4.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 ¥125

$19.53 ¥130

-3.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.91 ¥39.33

$7.73 ¥51.5

-23.54%

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

$517 ¥3,445

$586 ¥3,899

-11.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ¥148.5K

$41.6K ¥277.3K

-46.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.84 ¥139

$58.8 ¥391

-64.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.00 ¥226

$42.92 ¥286

-20.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 ¥621

$85.8 ¥571

8.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.1 ¥660

$111 ¥739

-10.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 ¥1,870

$563 ¥3,749

-50.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ¥2,033

$363 ¥2,418

-15.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ¥3,331

$1,122 ¥7,469

-55.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 ¥2,691

$625 ¥4,165

-35.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,005 ¥20.0K

$7,523 ¥50.1K

-60.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,993 ¥13.3K

$3,879 ¥25.8K

-48.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$816 ¥5,436

$1,485 ¥9,888

-45.03%

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 Quanzhou: November 1, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quanzhou

$305 37.6%

Hangzhou

$363 36.4% 18.9% $58

Groceries & Markets

Quanzhou

$137 16.9%

Hangzhou

$237 23.8% 72.7% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Quanzhou

$111 13.7%

Hangzhou

$134 13.5% 20.7% $23

Eating Out

Quanzhou

$89 11%

Hangzhou

$100 10% 11.3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quanzhou

$73 9%

Hangzhou

$71 7.2% 2.7% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Quanzhou

$67 8.2%

Hangzhou

$68 6.8% 2.1% $1.4

Getting Around

Quanzhou

$28 3.5%

Hangzhou

$23 2.4% 17.8% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $281 in Quanzhou versus $563 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 82% higher in Hangzhou. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Quanzhou versus $26 in Hangzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $137 in Quanzhou vs $237 in Hangzhou – so Quanzhou wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Quanzhou

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

08:57 8:57 AM

Same time as Quanzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,128,530

10,360,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Quanzhou Hangzhou 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Quanzhou
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

Quanzhou vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,218 per month in Quanzhou and $1,496 in Hangzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quanzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $281 there versus $563 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 73% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Quanzhou 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 $812 in Quanzhou and $997 in Hangzhou, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Quanzhou – 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 Quanzhou. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hangzhou makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.