Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Hangzhou: $1,020 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $1,020 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Hangzhou $1,020

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,566 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Hangzhou $1,566

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $2,112 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Hangzhou $2,112

Shanghai costs about 22% more than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Shanghai and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Hangzhou 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$3.77 ¥25.22

20.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$25.72 ¥172

17.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.54 ¥30.33

15.64%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.35 ¥22.38

-2.09%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.59 ¥3.97

-3.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.33 ¥2.24

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.18 ¥7.90

4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$2.21 ¥14.75

2.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.86 ¥12.44

-1.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$1.59 ¥10.60

23.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$1.12 ¥7.51

-8.04%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.01 ¥13.42

-16.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$18.92 ¥127

-10.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.78 ¥25.25

-15.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$10.01 ¥66.9

28.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$2.28 ¥15.23

-1.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.41 ¥9.43

17.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.52 ¥10.16

32.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$1.55 ¥10.39

7.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.89 ¥5.93

-13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.98 ¥6.57

-5.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.67 ¥4.45

-5.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.54 ¥3.61

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$4.10 ¥27.40

-7.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$13.30 ¥89.0

-18.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.78 ¥5.22

5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.65 ¥11.02

-2.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.63 ¥4.21

-3.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$17.61 ¥118

66.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.91 ¥12.76

10.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.38 ¥2.54

13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$7.28 ¥48.65

24.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.31 ¥8.76

1.53%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.3K ¥129.2K

-1.53%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$18.3K ¥122.5K

2.09%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$47.44 ¥317

21.86%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$10.05 ¥67.2

-19.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$14.50 ¥97.0

-27.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$51.5 ¥344

27.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$19.69 ¥132

-9.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$7.32 ¥48.94

22.27%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$568 ¥3,801

148.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$36.2K ¥242.1K

-23.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$59.6 ¥398

-9.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$41.39 ¥277

-10.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$86.2 ¥576

-13.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$109 ¥728

-3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$626 ¥4,182

68.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$393 ¥2,628

48.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,206 ¥8,061

106.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$672 ¥4,490

83.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$8,023 ¥53.6K

73.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$3,742 ¥25.0K

67.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$1,557 ¥10.4K

9.89%

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 Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Hangzhou

$393 38.5% 32.8% $192

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Hangzhou

$234 22.9% 0.4% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Hangzhou

$133 13.1% 9.3% $11

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Hangzhou

$98 9.6% 7.6% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Hangzhou

$66 6.5% 20.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Hangzhou

$72 7.1% 5.7% $4.4

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Hangzhou

$24 2.4% 33.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $626 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 10% higher in Shanghai, 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 $30.00 in Shanghai versus $26.00 in Hangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $234 – making Hangzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

21:31 9:31 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Shanghai vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $1,530 in Hangzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hangzhou, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% more in Shanghai, 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 $30.00 in Shanghai 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 Hangzhou, where all-in costs run around $1,020, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Hangzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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