Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wuxi and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Wuxi: $758 a month against $985 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Wuxi
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Wuxi Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

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Wuxi

🇨🇳 China

$758

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $758 per month in Wuxi vs $985 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Wuxi $758
Hangzhou $985

A couple spends around $1,199 per month in Wuxi vs $1,533 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Wuxi $1,199
Hangzhou $1,533

A family of three spends $1,639 per month in Wuxi vs $2,080 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Wuxi $1,639
Hangzhou $2,080

Wuxi is about 23% cheaper than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Wuxi and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Wuxi 44% lower, Hangzhou 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.68 ¥24.52

$3.73 ¥24.81

-1.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.69 ¥158

$26.03 ¥173

-8.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 ¥30.64

$4.68 ¥31.14

-1.71%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ¥20.80

$3.48 ¥23.18

-10.06%

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

$0.52 ¥3.47

$0.61 ¥4.05

-14.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ¥2.13

$0.33 ¥2.20

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.76

$1.22 ¥8.08

20.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ¥20.31

$2.23 ¥14.82

36.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.16

$1.84 ¥12.22

-0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 ¥14.28

$1.61 ¥10.72

33.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.35

$1.10 ¥7.33

Eggs

$1.92 ¥12.75

$2.11 ¥14.01

-9.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.83 ¥92.0

$19.06 ¥127

-27.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ¥22.20

$3.74 ¥24.90

-10.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.43 ¥76.1

$10.29 ¥68.5

11.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 ¥17.70

$2.32 ¥15.44

14.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$1.34 ¥8.93

-2.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.83

$1.52 ¥10.11

7.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.79

$1.53 ¥10.19

-23.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.27

$0.94 ¥6.23

-31.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.34

$0.94 ¥6.27

-14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.63 ¥4.18

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$0.55 ¥3.65

5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 ¥35.22

$4.02 ¥26.76

31.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.77 ¥78.3

$13.38 ¥89.0

-12.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.17

$0.77 ¥5.12

20.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥14.45

$1.65 ¥10.98

31.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$0.47 ¥3.13

-8.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.44 ¥123

$17.73 ¥118

4.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.19

$1.96 ¥13.05

-21.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.85

$0.38 ¥2.55

13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 ¥58.1

$6.98 ¥46.47

25.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.50

$1.32 ¥8.75

-3.03%

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

$19.5K ¥129.9K

$19.7K ¥131.3K

-1.08%

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

$18.8K ¥125.3K

$18.4K ¥122.3K

2.46%

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

$36.25 ¥241

$48.04 ¥320

-24.54%

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

$11.66 ¥77.6

$10.04 ¥66.8

16.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.85 ¥185

$15.02 ¥100.0

85.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.29 ¥315

$52.8 ¥351

-10.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.25 ¥48.21

$20.00 ¥133

-63.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.87 ¥39.09

$7.55 ¥50.2

-22.25%

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

$436 ¥2,901

$577 ¥3,836

-24.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ¥107.6K

$35.8K ¥238.1K

-54.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.17 ¥234

$60.2 ¥401

-41.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.96 ¥146

$42.24 ¥281

-48.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 ¥436

$84.0 ¥559

-21.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.15 ¥294

$111 ¥736

-60.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥2,207

$552 ¥3,674

-39.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 ¥1,354

$352 ¥2,341

-42.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 ¥3,876

$1,117 ¥7,432

-47.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,560

$627 ¥4,170

-38.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,637 ¥24.2K

$7,668 ¥51.0K

-52.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,969 ¥13.1K

$3,819 ¥25.4K

-48.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,059 ¥7,048

$1,582 ¥10.5K

-33.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

3.5

-10.57%

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

Last update for Wuxi: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Wuxi

$223 29.5%

Hangzhou

$235 23.9% 5.3% $12

Accommodation & Living

Wuxi

$204 26.9%

Hangzhou

$352 35.7% 72.8% $148

Eating Out

Wuxi

$98 12.9%

Hangzhou

$100 10.2% 2.4% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wuxi

$76 10%

Hangzhou

$73 7.4% 3.5% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Wuxi

$75 9.9%

Hangzhou

$134 13.6% 78% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Wuxi

$59 7.8%

Hangzhou

$68 6.9% 15% $8.8

Getting Around

Wuxi

$24 3.1%

Hangzhou

$23 2.4% 1.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $332 in Wuxi 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 49% higher in Hangzhou. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Wuxi versus $26 in Hangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $235 – making Wuxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Wuxi

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

Same time as Wuxi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,462,135

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

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Wuxi Hangzhou 150 km

From you

Wuxi
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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

Wuxi vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,137 per month in Wuxi 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 Wuxi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $332 there versus $552 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Wuxi 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 $758 in Wuxi and $985 in Hangzhou, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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