Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenyang and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenyang: $708 a month against $985 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Shenyang
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Shenyang Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
Learn more

Hangzhou Living Index

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Shenyang

🇨🇳 China

$708

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $708 per month in Shenyang vs $985 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Shenyang $708
Hangzhou $985

A couple spends around $1,046 per month in Shenyang vs $1,533 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Shenyang $1,046
Hangzhou $1,533

A family of three spends $1,384 per month in Shenyang vs $2,080 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Shenyang $1,384
Hangzhou $2,080

Shenyang is about 28% cheaper than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shenyang and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Shenyang 48% lower, Hangzhou 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 ¥19.72

$3.73 ¥24.78

-20.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥149

$26.03 ¥173

-13.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 ¥35.89

$4.68 ¥31.10

15.38%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ¥16.64

$3.48 ¥23.15

-28.16%

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

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.61 ¥4.05

-22.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.57

$0.33 ¥2.20

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ¥5.72

$1.22 ¥8.07

-29.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.54

$2.23 ¥14.80

-15.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ¥13.31

$1.84 ¥12.20

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 ¥15.80

$1.61 ¥10.71

47.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.18

$1.10 ¥7.32

-1.82%

Eggs

$1.07 ¥7.09

$2.11 ¥14.00

-49.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 ¥127

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 ¥24.87

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 ¥79.2

$10.29 ¥68.4

15.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.90

$2.32 ¥15.41

-22.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.75

$1.34 ¥8.91

-12.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.09

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.76

$1.53 ¥10.18

-3.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.22

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.26

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$0.63 ¥4.17

-1.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ¥4.28

$0.55 ¥3.65

16.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.52

$4.02 ¥26.72

-8.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.70 ¥111

$13.38 ¥88.9

24.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ¥4.54

$0.77 ¥5.11

-11.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ¥7.52

$1.65 ¥10.96

-31.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.90

$0.47 ¥3.13

-38.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.87 ¥98.8

$17.73 ¥118

-16.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 ¥9.15

$1.96 ¥13.03

-29.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.38 ¥2.55

-18.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ¥20.31

$6.98 ¥46.41

-56.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.64

$1.32 ¥8.74

-1.52%

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

$19.4K ¥128.7K

$19.7K ¥131.1K

-1.80%

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

$17.5K ¥116.0K

$18.4K ¥122.2K

-5.07%

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

$76.2 ¥506

$48.04 ¥319

58.56%

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

$15.50 ¥103

$10.04 ¥66.7

54.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.86 ¥98.7

$15.02 ¥99.8

-1.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.51 ¥150

$52.8 ¥351

-57.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.68 ¥71.0

$20.00 ¥133

-46.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 ¥39.04

$7.55 ¥50.2

-22.12%

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

$549 ¥3,650

$577 ¥3,831

-4.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ¥145.4K

$35.8K ¥237.8K

-38.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.33 ¥281

$60.2 ¥400

-29.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.24 ¥281

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 ¥405

$84.0 ¥558

-27.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.1 ¥466

$111 ¥735

-36.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$226 ¥1,499

$552 ¥3,669

-59.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 ¥1,514

$352 ¥2,337

-35.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ¥3,578

$1,117 ¥7,422

-51.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 ¥2,287

$627 ¥4,164

-45.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,814 ¥12.1K

$7,668 ¥51.0K

-76.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,102 ¥7,322

$3,819 ¥25.4K

-71.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 ¥7,190

$1,582 ¥10.5K

-31.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

3.5

24.86%

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

Last update for Shenyang: October 27, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenyang

$228 32.2%

Hangzhou

$352 35.7% 54.4% $124

Groceries & Markets

Shenyang

$161 * 22.7%

Hangzhou

$235 23.9% 46.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenyang

$107 15.1%

Hangzhou

$73 7.4% 31.4% $33

Eating Out

Shenyang

$81 11.5%

Hangzhou

$100 10.2% 22.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Shenyang

$78 * 11%

Hangzhou

$134 13.6% 71.4% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Shenyang

$34 4.8%

Hangzhou

$68 6.9% 98.1% $34

Getting Around

Shenyang

$19 2.7%

Hangzhou

$23 2.4% 23.9% $4.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $226 in Shenyang versus $552 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 46% higher in Hangzhou. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Shenyang versus $26 in Hangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $161 vs $235 – making Shenyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenyang

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

Same time as Shenyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,199,601

10,360,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Shenyang Hangzhou 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenyang
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

Shenyang vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,062 per month in Shenyang and $1,477 in Hangzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shenyang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $552 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Shenyang and $26 in Hangzhou. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Shenyang, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Hangzhou at $985. In Shenyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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