Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wenzhou and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Wenzhou: $628 a month against $1,020 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Wenzhou
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Wenzhou Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

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Wenzhou

🇨🇳 China

$628

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $628 per month in Wenzhou vs $1,020 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Wenzhou $628
Hangzhou $1,020

A couple spends around $1,059 per month in Wenzhou vs $1,566 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Wenzhou $1,059
Hangzhou $1,566

A family of three spends $1,489 per month in Wenzhou vs $2,112 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Wenzhou $1,489
Hangzhou $2,112

Wenzhou is about 38% cheaper than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Wenzhou and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Wenzhou 53% lower, Hangzhou 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.01 ¥20.10

$3.77 ¥25.22

-20.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.38 ¥203

$25.72 ¥172

18.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 ¥51.2

$4.54 ¥30.33

68.72%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ¥17.75

$3.35 ¥22.38

-20.90%

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

$0.52 ¥3.50

$0.59 ¥3.97

-11.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.33 ¥2.24

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ¥5.73

$1.18 ¥7.90

-27.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ¥20.28

$2.21 ¥14.75

37.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.86 ¥12.44

11.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.59 ¥10.60

22.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.78

$1.12 ¥7.51

16.96%

Eggs

$1.98 ¥13.21

$2.01 ¥13.42

-1.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.61 ¥50.9

$18.92 ¥127

-59.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.18 ¥14.61

$3.78 ¥25.25

-42.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.49 ¥63.4

$10.01 ¥66.9

-5.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.74

$2.28 ¥15.23

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.95

$1.41 ¥9.43

26.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.31

$1.52 ¥10.16

11.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ¥7.46

$1.55 ¥10.39

-27.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$0.89 ¥5.93

-31.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.81

$0.98 ¥6.57

-26.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ¥3.12

$0.67 ¥4.45

-29.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.54 ¥3.61

9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ¥22.57

$4.10 ¥27.40

-17.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 ¥88.5

$13.30 ¥89.0

-0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ¥8.16

$0.78 ¥5.22

56.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 ¥8.21

$1.65 ¥11.02

-25.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.63 ¥4.21

-53.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.61 ¥118

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$1.91 ¥12.76

-12.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.38 ¥2.54

-7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 ¥51.8

$7.28 ¥48.65

6.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.46

$1.31 ¥8.76

-3.82%

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

$19.5K ¥130.4K

$19.3K ¥129.2K

0.95%

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

$15.5K ¥103.9K

$18.3K ¥122.5K

-15.17%

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

$29.91 ¥200

$47.44 ¥317

-36.95%

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

$6.60 ¥44.11

$10.05 ¥67.2

-34.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.89 ¥59.4

$14.50 ¥97.0

-38.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.62 ¥91.1

$51.5 ¥344

-73.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.79 ¥179

$19.69 ¥132

36.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ¥50.8

$7.32 ¥48.94

3.83%

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

$1,247 ¥8,340

$568 ¥3,801

119.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,703 ¥64.9K

$36.2K ¥242.1K

-73.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.55 ¥291

$59.6 ¥398

-26.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.78 ¥126

$41.39 ¥277

-54.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 ¥645

$86.2 ¥576

12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.71 ¥299

$109 ¥728

-58.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,603

$626 ¥4,182

-61.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ¥1,135

$393 ¥2,628

-56.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 ¥4,228

$1,206 ¥8,061

-47.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ¥2,428

$672 ¥4,490

-45.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,065 ¥27.2K

$8,023 ¥53.6K

-49.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,598 ¥17.4K

$3,742 ¥25.0K

-30.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$868 ¥5,803

$1,557 ¥10.4K

-44.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.5

-1.14%

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

Last update for Wenzhou: October 10, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Wenzhou

$196 31.1%

Hangzhou

$234 22.9% 19.6% $38

Accommodation & Living

Wenzhou

$170 27%

Hangzhou

$393 38.5% 132% $223

Eating Out

Wenzhou

$93 14.7%

Hangzhou

$98 9.6% 5.9% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Wenzhou

$92 14.6%

Hangzhou

$133 13.1% 45.4% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wenzhou

$45 7.2%

Hangzhou

$72 7.1% 58.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Wenzhou

$29 4.6%

Hangzhou

$66 6.5% 130% $37

Getting Around

Wenzhou

$4.6 * 0.7%

Hangzhou

$24 2.4% 423% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $240 in Wenzhou 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 79% higher in Hangzhou, 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 Wenzhou versus $26.00 in Hangzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Wenzhou vs $234 in Hangzhou – so Wenzhou wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Wenzhou

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

13:01 1:01 PM

Same time as Wenzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,300,000

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

On the map

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Wenzhou Hangzhou 250 km

From you

Wenzhou
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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

Wenzhou vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $942 per month in Wenzhou 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 Wenzhou, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Wenzhou and $26.00 in Hangzhou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Wenzhou, where all-in costs run around $628, than in Hangzhou at $1,020. In Wenzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hangzhou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wenzhou – 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 Wenzhou. 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.