Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhuhai and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhuhai: $787 a month against $997 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Zhuhai
Learn more

Zhuhai Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
Learn more

Hangzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Zhuhai

🇨🇳 China

$787

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $787 per month in Zhuhai vs $997 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Zhuhai $787
Hangzhou $997

A couple spends around $1,308 per month in Zhuhai vs $1,539 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Zhuhai $1,308
Hangzhou $1,539

A family of three spends $1,828 per month in Zhuhai vs $2,080 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Zhuhai $1,828
Hangzhou $2,080

Zhuhai is about 21% cheaper than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zhuhai and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Zhuhai 42% lower, Hangzhou 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 ¥18.27

$3.81 ¥25.36

-28.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.04 ¥200

$25.68 ¥171

16.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.23 ¥34.82

$4.56 ¥30.34

14.69%

Cappuccino

$3.19 ¥21.22

$3.34 ¥22.25

-4.49%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.61 ¥4.05

-18.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ¥2.16

$0.33 ¥2.21

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.16

$1.37 ¥9.13

-10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ¥14.38

$2.36 ¥15.73

-8.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥10.49

$1.86 ¥12.41

-15.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$1.55 ¥10.30

-15.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$1.15 ¥7.67

-0.87%

Eggs

$1.64 ¥10.89

$2.14 ¥14.24

-23.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.30 ¥28.61

$19.27 ¥128

-77.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.29 ¥15.22

$3.87 ¥25.79

-40.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.87 ¥25.76

$10.08 ¥67.1

-61.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$2.49 ¥16.60

-47.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.83

$1.42 ¥9.44

-59.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.44 ¥2.91

$1.46 ¥9.69

-69.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.78

$1.54 ¥10.27

-4.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.88

$0.95 ¥6.33

-23.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ¥3.11

$0.94 ¥6.23

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.65 ¥4.32

-55.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ¥2.93

$0.56 ¥3.76

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ¥19.63

$4.12 ¥27.40

-28.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.72 ¥24.80

$13.37 ¥89.0

-72.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.82 ¥5.44

-29.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ¥11.86

$1.67 ¥11.13

6.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 ¥0.98

$0.43 ¥2.87

-65.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.11 ¥60.7

$17.94 ¥119

-49.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.79

$1.90 ¥12.67

-22.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.51

$0.37 ¥2.46

2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.24 ¥48.21

$6.97 ¥46.40

3.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.32

$1.31 ¥8.75

-4.58%

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

$15.5K ¥103.2K

$19.9K ¥132.4K

-22.10%

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

$13.6K ¥90.7K

$18.6K ¥123.7K

-26.67%

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

$57.0 ¥380

$47.60 ¥317

19.77%

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

$9.84 ¥65.5

$8.93 ¥59.4

10.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.64 ¥111

$14.74 ¥98.2

12.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.8 ¥551

$52.6 ¥350

57.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.05 ¥213

$19.53 ¥130

64.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.63 ¥50.8

$7.73 ¥51.5

-1.29%

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

$525 ¥3,493

$586 ¥3,899

-10.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.3K ¥268.3K

$41.6K ¥277.3K

-3.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.72 ¥198

$58.8 ¥391

-49.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 ¥268

$42.92 ¥286

-6.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 ¥489

$85.8 ¥571

-14.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 ¥550

$111 ¥739

-25.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ¥2,917

$563 ¥3,749

-22.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 ¥1,881

$363 ¥2,418

-22.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 ¥6,024

$1,122 ¥7,469

-19.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 ¥4,358

$625 ¥4,165

4.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.8K

$7,523 ¥50.1K

-38.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,911 ¥19.4K

$3,879 ¥25.8K

-24.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 ¥7,135

$1,485 ¥9,888

-27.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.5

-4.00%

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

Last update for Zhuhai: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zhuhai

$283 35.9%

Hangzhou

$363 36.4% 28.5% $81

Groceries & Markets

Zhuhai

$118 15.1%

Hangzhou

$237 23.8% 101% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Zhuhai

$102 12.9%

Hangzhou

$134 13.5% 32% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Zhuhai

$98 12.5%

Hangzhou

$68 6.8% 30.6% $30

Eating Out

Zhuhai

$90 11.4%

Hangzhou

$100 10% 11.1% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhuhai

$83 10.6%

Hangzhou

$71 7.2% 14.6% $12

Getting Around

Zhuhai

$13 1.7%

Hangzhou

$23 2.4% 79.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $438 in Zhuhai 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 39% higher in Hangzhou. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Zhuhai versus $26 in Hangzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $118 in Zhuhai vs $237 in Hangzhou – so Zhuhai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhuhai

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

Same time as Zhuhai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,207,090

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zhuhai Hangzhou 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhuhai
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

Zhuhai vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,180 per month in Zhuhai 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 Zhuhai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $438 there versus $563 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 101% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Zhuhai and $26 in Hangzhou. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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