Hangzhou Prices: Do Locals Even Blink at How Insane This Is?!
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Hello everyone! I recently quit a job at a large company and've been "lying around like Ge You"【Lying Around (Ge You Style) — meaning idly hanging about】 in my house for four months now. It's so boring here that I really wanted to do something else, so that’s why I headed to Hangzhou, hoping to find some way to make ends meet, hehe!
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Before making the trip, I had already mentally braced myself knowing that Hangzhou would be more expensive than my hometown Jinan, an eastern Chinese provincial capital city. However, I never expected it to feel as if everything is overpriced by nearly double!
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Take for example a small mantou, a kind of steamed white flour dish, which I can devour in just two bites; it is shockingly priced at two yuan.
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The food delivery containers used in Hangzhou are also smaller compared to those in Jinan, resulting in serving sizes that aren't quite satisfying either.
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Speaking of which, let me quickly share a little incident, serving as a friendly reminder to all:
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A couple of days ago, I ordered a stir-fried shredded flatbread, chāobǐngsī. This rather homestyle dish consists of shredded and stir-fried pancakes.
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Alas, the first bite made me feel like I won the unlucky lottery – the texture felt as though I was chewing on a worn-out tire, permeated with artificial flavorings.
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Just as I expected, the next morning marked the rise of my belly's protest – a stomachache, or you could say, experiencing a bout of diarrhea.
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To all visiting friends, I'd like to suggest: if ever you come across such a strange taste or strong seasoning in your food delivery or street food, it's best to limit your intake, because it might otherwise upset your stomach.
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Over the past few days, I have lived predominantly on mantous, spicy crackers named là tiáo (a popular snack amongst young people, mostly being spicy bean products or noodles), and other "foods that feel high-tech", all while economizing as much as possible. Yet, this frugal lifestyle still costs me seven hundred yuan.
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Looking beyond that, are Hangzhou locals simply very wealthy then?
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In the case that they are, perhaps begging for pocket money here wouldn’t be too difficult (just kidding, what I really mean is that prices are just plain high).
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Is this not a unique form of “saving money”? (Though I'm actually pointing out high living costs)
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These younger generations’ consumption is truly confusing
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Life on floating in Hangzhou
Here at Hangzhou, I am navigating these days as a drifter, constantly learning about the price and cost of living.
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Everywhere else I go besides Hangzhou feels like such a bargain.
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What about Shanghai? Or Suzhou's development zones? I feel like prices there have surpassed Tokyo and are catching up to New York.
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Taxis are also significantly more expensive than in Guangzhou.
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The cost of living in Hangzhou is three times that of Changsha.
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Sounds like Changsha is a pretty livable city then.
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Only those over-the-top, generalizing posts on Xiaohongshu (XHS) get traction. Aside from housing, are the differences in daily food and drink costs between cities really that outrageous?
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Hangzhou is genuinely expensive. You'll realize it once you visit other cities.
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Today in Liangzhu Nuancun, I bought a single cucumber for 18 yuan – that's 20 yuan per jin (approx. 500g)!
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The cost of living is indeed much higher. Compared to other second-tier cities (excluding places like Shanghai), it's probably about a third more expensive. And it's about 50% more expensive than small fourth or fifth-tier cities like my hometown. Take groceries, for example. Back home, a little over 1,000 yuan a month is enough. In Hangzhou, even if I'm frugal and often grab discounted veggies at night, it still costs around 2,500 yuan a month. If I don't bother with deals and just buy regular produce and meat, groceries alone can easily top 3,000 yuan. However, food delivery is cheaper here than in my hometown because the delivery business is more developed. There are often no delivery fees and plenty of discount coupons. Back home, there are few discounts, and delivery fees are high, possibly because fewer people order takeout in smaller cities, leading to higher labor costs. Take bread, for instance. In my hometown, a really good bakery sells loaves for 7-8 yuan each. Some smaller items, like Japanese red bean buns, are 10 yuan for five or six. Egg tarts are 1-2 yuan each, or 3-4 yuan at pricier shops. But here in Hangzhou...
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Here in Hangzhou, any decent bread costs at least 18 yuan. A loaf of toast can be 20-30 yuan in some places. Anything with cream filling is ridiculously expensive. The 'cheaper' egg tarts are 5-6 yuan each, some go for 8-9 yuan, and I recently saw one for 12 yuan! It's gone in two bites and so simple – no idea why it's priced so high.
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@一個禮拜 @水平乌鸦吱吱力 @悲伤煎蛋特工 @巡航中的无人机 That's exactly how I feel!
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Is this Japan or what? (referring to prices)
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Mantou (steamed buns), shredded pancakes... these aren't staples for us Southerners. Maybe they're expensive due to scarcity? You should use the price of a bowl of rice as an example instead.
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Rice is expensive too. For 2-3 yuan, you get less than what 1 yuan gets you in Jinan.
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No wonder I always say 'What a bargain!' whenever I travel.
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Zhejiang people just have a knack for finding great deals when they travel.