Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shaoxing and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Shaoxing: $751 a month against $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Shaoxing
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Shaoxing Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

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Shaoxing

🇨🇳 China

$751

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $751 per month in Shaoxing vs $1,023 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Shaoxing $751
Hangzhou $1,023

A couple spends around $1,204 per month in Shaoxing vs $1,574 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Shaoxing $1,204
Hangzhou $1,574

A family of three spends $1,657 per month in Shaoxing vs $2,125 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Shaoxing $1,657
Hangzhou $2,125

Shaoxing is about 27% cheaper than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Shaoxing and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Shaoxing 45% lower, Hangzhou 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 ¥24.81

$3.82 ¥25.46

-2.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.22 ¥148

$25.78 ¥172

-13.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 ¥35.43

$4.72 ¥31.48

12.50%

Cappuccino

$2.58 ¥17.20

$3.44 ¥22.96

-25.00%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.61 ¥4.06

1.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$0.33 ¥2.21

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 ¥7.66

$1.19 ¥7.91

-3.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ¥14.64

$2.26 ¥15.07

-3.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.97

$1.82 ¥12.17

-1.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.05

$1.68 ¥11.19

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 ¥4.99

$1.10 ¥7.36

-31.82%

Eggs

$1.73 ¥11.55

$2.08 ¥13.86

-16.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 ¥77.8

$19.25 ¥128

-39.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.05

$3.77 ¥25.12

-12.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.59 ¥70.6

$10.09 ¥67.3

4.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.90

$2.37 ¥15.81

-24.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.50

$1.34 ¥8.95

28.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.46

$1.50 ¥10.03

14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.28

$1.54 ¥10.25

-29.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$0.93 ¥6.18

-10.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.07

$0.92 ¥6.16

-1.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$0.68 ¥4.54

-4.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.87

$0.57 ¥3.82

1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ¥22.92

$4.20 ¥28.01

-18.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 ¥70.8

$13.70 ¥91.4

-22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.13

$0.80 ¥5.31

-3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.81

$1.72 ¥11.44

-5.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ¥1.54

$0.62 ¥4.15

-62.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.86 ¥133

$17.96 ¥120

10.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 ¥13.25

$1.93 ¥12.86

3.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.38 ¥2.56

13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 ¥60.3

$6.96 ¥46.41

29.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.37 ¥9.15

-2.19%

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

$19.5K ¥129.8K

$19.1K ¥127.6K

1.70%

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

$18.0K ¥120.4K

$18.8K ¥125.6K

-4.15%

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

$47.33 ¥316

$47.48 ¥317

-0.32%

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

$7.90 ¥52.7

$10.02 ¥66.9

-21.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.14 ¥61.0

$14.74 ¥98.3

-37.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.57 ¥104

$51.0 ¥340

-69.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.79 ¥45.32

$19.35 ¥129

-64.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.82 ¥45.51

$7.44 ¥49.65

-8.33%

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

$844 ¥5,630

$578 ¥3,854

46.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K ¥166.3K

$36.1K ¥241.0K

-30.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.55 ¥270

$58.1 ¥387

-30.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.99 ¥213

$42.37 ¥283

-24.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 ¥513

$86.5 ¥577

-11.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥708

$110 ¥734

-3.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 ¥2,898

$623 ¥4,157

-30.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 ¥1,484

$390 ¥2,599

-42.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥3,977

$1,199 ¥8,000

-50.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 ¥3,000

$672 ¥4,485

-33.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,407 ¥42.7K

$7,857 ¥52.4K

-18.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ¥23.7K

$3,778 ¥25.2K

-5.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$901 ¥6,009

$1,583 ¥10.6K

-43.07%

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 Shaoxing: 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

Shaoxing

$222 29.6%

Hangzhou

$390 38.1% 75.2% $167

Groceries & Markets

Shaoxing

$205 27.2%

Hangzhou

$237 23.2% 16% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Shaoxing

$115 15.3%

Hangzhou

$134 13.1% 16.2% $19

Eating Out

Shaoxing

$91 12.1%

Hangzhou

$100 9.8% 10.5% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shaoxing

$64 8.6%

Hangzhou

$72 7.1% 12.2% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Shaoxing

$29 3.9%

Hangzhou

$66 6.4% 126% $37

Getting Around

Shaoxing

$25 3.3%

Hangzhou

$24 2.4% 2.5% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $434 in Shaoxing 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 76% higher in Hangzhou. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Shaoxing versus $26 in Hangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $237 – making Shaoxing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shaoxing

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

00:33 12:33 AM

Same time as Shaoxing

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912,239

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

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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

Shaoxing vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,127 per month in Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $434 there versus $623 in Hangzhou.

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 in Shaoxing 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 $751 in Shaoxing and $1,023 in Hangzhou, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

If budget matters most, go with Shaoxing. 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.