Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suzhou and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Suzhou: $888 a month against $997 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Suzhou
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Suzhou Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Suzhou

🇨🇳 China

$888

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $888 per month in Suzhou vs $997 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Suzhou $888
Hangzhou $997

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Suzhou vs $1,539 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Suzhou $1,464
Hangzhou $1,539

A family of three spends $2,041 per month in Suzhou vs $2,080 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Suzhou $2,041
Hangzhou $2,080

Suzhou is about 11% cheaper than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Suzhou and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Suzhou 34% lower, Hangzhou 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 ¥27.39

$3.81 ¥25.36

7.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.14 ¥201

$25.68 ¥171

17.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.24 ¥34.91

$4.56 ¥30.33

14.91%

Cappuccino

$3.45 ¥22.95

$3.34 ¥22.24

3.29%

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

$0.73 ¥4.86

$0.61 ¥4.05

19.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 ¥2.76

$0.33 ¥2.21

24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 ¥14.97

$1.37 ¥9.13

64.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 ¥29.70

$2.36 ¥15.73

88.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 ¥13.10

$1.86 ¥12.41

5.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 ¥13.50

$1.55 ¥10.30

30.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$1.15 ¥7.67

12.17%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥11.83

$2.14 ¥14.23

-16.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.93 ¥119

$19.27 ¥128

-6.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 ¥22.50

$3.87 ¥25.79

-12.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.91 ¥59.4

$10.08 ¥67.1

-11.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ¥13.27

$2.49 ¥16.60

-20.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.30

$1.42 ¥9.44

-11.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ¥9.35

$1.46 ¥9.69

-4.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ¥9.97

$1.54 ¥10.27

-2.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.18

$0.95 ¥6.33

-33.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$0.94 ¥6.23

21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 ¥5.61

$0.65 ¥4.32

29.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.56 ¥3.76

8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 ¥30.23

$4.12 ¥27.40

10.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.92 ¥59.4

$13.37 ¥89.0

-33.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ¥7.33

$0.82 ¥5.44

34.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥13.86

$1.67 ¥11.12

24.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.90

$0.43 ¥2.87

-32.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.95 ¥246

$17.94 ¥119

105.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ¥10.86

$1.90 ¥12.67

-14.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.24

$0.37 ¥2.46

-8.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.34 ¥68.9

$6.97 ¥46.40

48.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.92

$1.31 ¥8.75

2.29%

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

$19.2K ¥127.6K

$19.9K ¥132.4K

-3.61%

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

$17.6K ¥117.5K

$18.6K ¥123.7K

-5.04%

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

$102 ¥682

$47.60 ¥317

115.27%

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

$13.13 ¥87.4

$8.93 ¥59.4

47.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.43 ¥76.1

$14.74 ¥98.1

-22.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.39 ¥222

$52.6 ¥350

-36.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.50 ¥123

$19.53 ¥130

-5.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.13 ¥40.82

$7.73 ¥51.5

-20.70%

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

$1,248 ¥8,312

$586 ¥3,898

113.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K ¥209.6K

$41.6K ¥277.3K

-24.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 ¥353

$58.8 ¥391

-9.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.64 ¥271

$42.92 ¥286

-5.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 ¥553

$85.8 ¥571

-3.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.0 ¥573

$111 ¥739

-22.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 ¥2,526

$563 ¥3,748

-32.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 ¥1,452

$363 ¥2,417

-39.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 ¥6,758

$1,122 ¥7,468

-9.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,697

$625 ¥4,164

-11.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,816 ¥32.1K

$7,523 ¥50.1K

-35.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,608 ¥17.4K

$3,879 ¥25.8K

-32.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,488 ¥9,910

$1,485 ¥9,887

0.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

3.5

0.86%

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

Last update for Suzhou: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Suzhou

$223 25.1%

Hangzhou

$237 23.8% 6.7% $15

Accommodation & Living

Suzhou

$218 24.6%

Hangzhou

$363 36.4% 66.5% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suzhou

$127 14.3%

Hangzhou

$71 7.2% 43.9% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Suzhou

$118 13.3%

Hangzhou

$134 13.5% 13.6% $16

Eating Out

Suzhou

$115 12.9%

Hangzhou

$100 10% 13.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Suzhou

$46 5.1%

Hangzhou

$68 6.8% 49% $22

Getting Around

Suzhou

$41 4.7%

Hangzhou

$23 2.4% 43.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $379 in Suzhou 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Suzhou versus $26 in Hangzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $223 in Suzhou vs $237 in Hangzhou – so Suzhou wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Suzhou

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

Same time as Suzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,748,262

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

Suzhou vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,332 per month in Suzhou 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 Suzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $379 there versus $563 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Suzhou 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 $888 in Suzhou and $997 in Hangzhou, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.