Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Hefei vs Lucknow

Hefei vs Lucknow

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lucknow 24% cheaper Hefei +183 Mbps High / N/A

Hefei

Gang Cheng/Unsplash

Lucknow

Rhythmic Creations/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,094

Hefei

$830

Lucknow

Internet

244

Mbps

Safety

High

Hefei

N/A

Lucknow

Air Quality

5/5

Hefei

5/5

Lucknow

Healthcare

High

Hefei

N/A

Lucknow

Population

1.7m

Hefei

2.9m

Lucknow

Hefei (China) and Lucknow (India) are both in Asia, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Lucknow is the clear budget winner at $830/mo — 24% cheaper than Hefei's $1094/mo, a saving of $3168 per year.

For families, Hefei costs $1816.17748714262/mo compared to Lucknow's $668.408773077319/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Hefei leads on internet connectivity at 244 Mbps (ranked #0 globally) versus Lucknow's 61 Mbps (#0). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

Both Hefei and Lucknow share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Hefei and Lucknow.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Hefei is May (around 29 degrees, 0mm rain, score 416), while Lucknow peaks in February (23 degrees, 0mm rain, score 375). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

HefeiLucknow

Nomad$1,094/mo$830/mo

Expat$755/mo$484/mo

Local$519/mo$191/mo

Family$1,816/mo$668/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

HefeiLucknow

City Speed

244 Mbps

61 Mbps

Country Speed244 Mbps61 Mbps

Environment & Health

HefeiLucknow

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighN/A

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity4418

Quality of Life

HefeiLucknow

SafetyHighN/A

HealthcareHighN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Hefei

Lucknow

Jan

5°

0mm359

19°

0mm335

Feb

3°

0mm354

23°

0mm375

Mar

15°

0mm379

30°

0mm375

Apr

23°

1mm385

38°

0mm325

May

29°

0mm416

42°

0mm315

Jun

33°

0mm416

44°

0mm315

Jul

39°

1mm394

40°

6mm191

Aug

41°

0mm364

38°

7mm196

Sep

36°

0mm414

37°

2mm303

Oct

20°

0mm399

36°

0mm375

Nov

15°

0mm379

29°

0mm375

Dec

6°

0mm359

22°

0mm355

Who Should Choose Hefei?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1094
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 244 Mbps
High safety rating for peace of mind
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1816.17748714262/mo for families
Peak season in May — 29 degrees, score 416

Who Should Choose Lucknow?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $830
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $668.408773077319/mo for families
Major city energy with 2.9m residents
Peak season in February — 23 degrees, score 375

Overall Verdict

Overall, Hefei edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $1094/mo it runs 24% cheaper than Lucknow's $830/mo, with 244 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Hefei Lucknow

ItemHefeiLucknowDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$2.85$3.07

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$22.78$12.28

46%

McMeal or equivalent combo$4.98$3.07

38%

Cappuccino (regular)$3.26$1.57

52%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$0.85$1.84

54%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.14$3.68

42%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.44$0.35

20%

Water (0.33L)$0.28$0.18

36%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.58$0.68

57%

White bread (500g)$1.57$0.45

71%

White rice (1kg)$0.88$0.71

19%

Eggs (12)$1.37$1.03

25%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.27$3.48

19%

Beef round (1kg)$9.83$6.52

34%

Local cheese (1kg)$9.02$3.96

56%

Apples (1kg)$1.7$1.49

12%

Bananas (1kg)$0.98$0.58

41%

Oranges (1kg)$0.98$0.82

16%

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.88$0.43

51%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.64$0.25

61%

Onions (1kg)$0.39$0.35

10%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.38$0.43

12%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.81$0.35

57%

Wine, mid-range bottle$15.66$6.14

61%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.78$1.81

57%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.85$3.39

16%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$2.85$4.05

30%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.28$0.43

35%

Monthly transport pass$14.24$12.28

14%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$1.42$0.61

57%

Taxi per 1km$0.36$0.15

58%

Taxi 1hr waiting$4.27$1.23

71%

Gasoline (1L)$1.17$1.25

Volkswagen Golf (new)$19,773.09$14,738.11

25%

Toyota Corolla (new)$21,590.48$24,393.62

11%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$89.91$47.83

47%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$17.08$8.66

49%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.02$0.02

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$41.28$19.96

52%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$6.05$10.23

41%

Cinema, 1 ticket$5.69$3.68

35%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$249.12$51.34

79%

International primary school/yr$7,829.52$1,271.16

84%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$74.45$27.55

63%

Summer dress (chain store)$28.47$34.39

17%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$85.37$40.91

52%

Men's leather business shoes$56.94$38.92

32%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$275.22$122.82

55%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$142.35$77.99

45%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$569.42$305.51

46%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$332.16$180.13

46%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$3,985.94$1,067.19

73%

Price per m², outside centre$1,708.26$599.7

65%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$965.48$569.74

41%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$4.86$8.47

43%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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