vs

Climate

Hangzhou logs 105 hot days a year to Shanghai's 72 — Shanghai wins by 33. Shanghai also leads on frost days by 4.

HangzhouShanghai
Sunny days
146153
Hot days
10572
Frost days
1612
Rainy days
142122
Outdoor dinner months
6/126/12
Avg wind
2.3 m/s3.5 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,7221,772
Darkest month sun
83 hrs/mo103 hrs/mo
UV peak month
7.87.8

Hangzhou

Feels-like °C

5
7
13
18
25
29
34
35
28
19
14
6

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Shanghai

Feels-like °C

0
1
8
14
21
26
32
32
28
18
11
2

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Shanghai averages $1,530/mo for balanced living; Hangzhou has no cost baseline yet.

Hangzhou

monthly · balanced

Shanghai

$1,530

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,180Comfort $2,841
Top 85%in Among 40 Asia cities

Mobility

Shanghai scores 3.2 on mobility (0–5 scale); Hangzhou has no mobility baseline.

/5
vs
3.2/5
HangzhouShanghai
WalkabilityTransitFlights

Culture

Shanghai's culture score of 4.0 sits well above Hangzhou's 0.0.

0.0/5
vs
4.0/5
HangzhouShanghai
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Shanghai leads

Nature & Outdoors

Shanghai scores 3.2 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Hangzhou has no nature & outdoors baseline.

/5
vs
3.2/5
HangzhouShanghai
Green AreasLakesRunning

Safety

Shanghai scores 3.4 on safety (0–5 scale); Hangzhou has no safety baseline.

/5
vs
3.4/5
HangzhouShanghai
RoadFlooding

Career

Shanghai scores 4.2 on career (0–5 scale); Hangzhou has no career baseline.

/5
vs
4.2/5
HangzhouShanghai
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

Shanghai scores 2.9 on social & community (0–5 scale); Hangzhou has no social & community baseline.

/5
vs
2.9/5
HangzhouShanghai
Expat-First CommunityMulticultural MixUrban EnergyStreet Atmosphere

Food & Dining

Shanghai scores 4.0 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Hangzhou has no food & dining baseline.

/5
vs
4.0/5
HangzhouShanghai
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

Shanghai scores 3.8 on family (0–5 scale); Hangzhou has no family baseline.

/5
vs
3.8/5
HangzhouShanghai
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpa

Healthcare

Shanghai scores 2.4 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Hangzhou has no healthcare baseline.

/5
vs
2.4/5
HangzhouShanghai
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

Hangzhou averages 34.2 µg/m³ (unhealthy) PM2.5 annually versus Shanghai's 34.1 µg/m³ (unhealthy) — Shanghai breathes ~0% cleaner air (0.1 µg/m³ lower).

Hangzhou

Shanghai

34.2µg/m³
34.1µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Unhealthy
Unhealthy

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Hangzhou (6.4M) and Shanghai (30.7M) are 4.8x in population — Shanghai is the larger metro, Hangzhou the smaller; on land area Shanghai spans roughly 2.1x more ground.

3.1x

Shanghai is roughly 3.1x the scale of Hangzhou

Combined population & area comparison

CN flagShanghai
3.1x
CN flagHangzhou
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.CN flagShanghai30.7M4.8x
2.CN flagHangzhou6.4M1x
Area
1.CN flagShanghai3,128 km²2.1x
2.CN flagHangzhou1,517 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
73 km60 km

CN flagHangzhou

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
75 km69 km

CN flagShanghai

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Hangzhou vs Shanghai

Which is cheaper, Hangzhou or Shanghai?
Shanghai has an estimated monthly cost of $1,530.
How does the climate compare between Hangzhou and Shanghai?
Sunny days: 146 vs 153 d — Similar Annual sunshine: 1,722 vs 1,772 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 83 vs 103 hrs/day — Shanghai higher Hot days (>30°C): 105 vs 72 d — Shanghai lower Frost days: 16 vs 12 d — Similar Rainy days: 142 vs 122 d — Shanghai lower
Is Hangzhou or Shanghai safer?
Shanghai has a safety score of 3.4/5.
Should I move to Hangzhou or Shanghai?
Hangzhou and Shanghai are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Hangzhou and Shanghai stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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