Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Xi'an and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Xi’an: $755 a month against $997 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Xi'an
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Xi'an Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Xi'an

🇨🇳 China

$755

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $755 per month in Xi’an vs $997 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Xi'an $755
Hangzhou $997

A couple spends around $1,173 per month in Xi’an vs $1,539 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Xi'an $1,173
Hangzhou $1,539

A family of three spends $1,592 per month in Xi’an vs $2,080 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Xi'an $1,592
Hangzhou $2,080

Xi’an is about 24% cheaper than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Xi’an and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Xi’an 44% lower, Hangzhou 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.47

$3.81 ¥25.37

-23.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.34 ¥122

$25.68 ¥171

-28.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ¥30.32

$4.56 ¥30.35

-0.22%

Cappuccino

$2.10 ¥13.96

$3.34 ¥22.25

-37.13%

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

$0.42 ¥2.78

$0.61 ¥4.05

-31.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.33 ¥2.21

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.76

$1.37 ¥9.13

7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ¥9.90

$2.36 ¥15.74

-36.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.72

$1.86 ¥12.41

-21.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥11.53

$1.55 ¥10.30

11.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.77

$1.15 ¥7.67

-24.35%

Eggs

$1.47 ¥9.76

$2.14 ¥14.24

-31.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.43 ¥76.1

$19.27 ¥128

-40.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.46 ¥29.74

$3.87 ¥25.80

15.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥70.9

$10.08 ¥67.2

5.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.83

$2.49 ¥16.61

-34.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.71

$1.42 ¥9.44

-18.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.58

$1.46 ¥9.70

-21.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.54 ¥10.28

-14.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.27

$0.95 ¥6.33

-32.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$0.94 ¥6.23

-15.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ¥4.65

$0.65 ¥4.32

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.56 ¥3.76

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ¥23.07

$4.12 ¥27.41

-16.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 ¥74.1

$13.37 ¥89.0

-16.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥5.38

$0.82 ¥5.44

-1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥11.61

$1.67 ¥11.13

4.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.43 ¥2.87

-27.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.59 ¥164

$17.94 ¥120

37.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.90 ¥12.68

-34.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.90

$0.37 ¥2.46

-21.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ¥23.65

$6.97 ¥46.42

-49.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.11

$1.31 ¥8.76

4.58%

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$19.9K ¥132.5K

-3.47%

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

$17.5K ¥116.6K

$18.6K ¥123.8K

-5.83%

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

$88.4 ¥589

$47.60 ¥317

85.76%

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

$6.47 ¥43.12

$8.93 ¥59.5

-27.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.74 ¥71.5

$14.74 ¥98.2

-27.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.85 ¥199

$52.6 ¥350

-43.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.42 ¥143

$19.53 ¥130

9.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.70 ¥38.00

$7.73 ¥51.5

-26.26%

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

$908 ¥6,045

$586 ¥3,900

54.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ¥148.8K

$41.6K ¥277.4K

-46.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.32 ¥262

$58.8 ¥392

-33.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.62 ¥251

$42.92 ¥286

-12.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 ¥508

$85.8 ¥572

-11.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ¥725

$111 ¥739

-1.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 ¥1,932

$563 ¥3,750

-48.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 ¥1,250

$363 ¥2,418

-48.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 ¥4,760

$1,122 ¥7,471

-36.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ¥2,404

$625 ¥4,166

-42.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,285 ¥15.2K

$7,523 ¥50.1K

-69.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,598 ¥10.6K

$3,879 ¥25.8K

-58.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,262 ¥8,402

$1,485 ¥9,891

-15.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.5

-4.29%

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

Last update for Xi'an: November 3, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Xi'an

$199 26.3%

Hangzhou

$237 23.8% 19.5% $39

Accommodation & Living

Xi'an

$188 24.9%

Hangzhou

$363 36.4% 93.5% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Xi'an

$118 15.6%

Hangzhou

$134 13.5% 14% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Xi'an

$106 14%

Hangzhou

$71 7.2% 32.5% $34

Eating Out

Xi'an

$75 10%

Hangzhou

$100 10% 32.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Xi'an

$41 5.5%

Hangzhou

$68 6.8% 64.9% $27

Getting Around

Xi'an

$29 3.8%

Hangzhou

$23 2.4% 17.9% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in Xi’an 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.

Salaries run about 18% 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 $18 in Xi’an versus $26 in Hangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $237 – making Xi’an the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Xi'an

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

15:09 3:09 PM

Same time as Xi'an

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,183,280

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

On the map

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Between locations

Xi'an Hangzhou 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Xi'an
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

Xi'an vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,132 per month in Xi’an 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 Xi’an, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $563 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Xi’an and $26 in Hangzhou. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Xi’an. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hangzhou makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.