Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Shantou

For one person, living is cheaper in Shantou: $692 a month against $997 in Hangzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Shantou
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Shantou Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$997

/mo nomad

Shantou

🇨🇳 China

$692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hangzhou and in Shantou

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hangzhou and in Shantou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $997 per month in Hangzhou vs $692 in Shantou, rent included.

Hangzhou $997
Shantou $692

A couple spends around $1,539 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,103 in Shantou, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,539
Shantou $1,103

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,515 in Shantou, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,080
Shantou $1,515

Hangzhou costs about 44% more than Shantou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Hangzhou and Shantou are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 26% lower, Shantou 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 ¥25.36

$2.21 ¥14.69

72.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.68 ¥171

$24.43 ¥163

5.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 ¥30.34

$5.18 ¥34.49

-11.97%

Cappuccino

$3.34 ¥22.25

$3.42 ¥22.76

-2.34%

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

$0.61 ¥4.05

$0.46 ¥3.07

32.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.21

$0.32 ¥2.12

3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ¥9.13

$0.89 ¥5.92

53.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ¥15.73

$2.20 ¥14.64

7.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.41

$1.54 ¥10.28

20.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.30

$1.54 ¥10.24

0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.67

$0.72 ¥4.76

59.72%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥14.24

$1.71 ¥11.38

25.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.27 ¥128

$13.54 ¥90.1

42.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 ¥25.79

$3.61 ¥24.03

7.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 ¥67.1

$13.01 ¥86.6

-22.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ¥16.60

$2.03 ¥13.51

22.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.44

$1.58 ¥10.49

-10.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.69

$1.77 ¥11.76

-17.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.27

$1.38 ¥9.19

11.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.33

$0.83 ¥5.55

14.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.23

$1.02 ¥6.78

-7.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.32

$0.62 ¥4.13

4.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.43 ¥2.88

30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ¥27.40

$3.69 ¥24.54

11.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.37 ¥89.0

$12.16 ¥81.0

9.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.44

$0.88 ¥5.89

-6.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.13

$1.70 ¥11.34

-1.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.37 ¥2.43

16.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.94 ¥119

$24.35 ¥162

-26.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.67

$1.52 ¥10.15

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.46

$0.37 ¥2.44

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.97 ¥46.40

$7.34 ¥48.84

-5.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.26 ¥8.37

3.97%

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

$19.9K ¥132.4K

$19.7K ¥131.3K

0.83%

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

$18.6K ¥123.7K

$18.3K ¥122.1K

1.33%

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

$47.60 ¥317

$57.4 ¥382

-17.12%

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

$8.93 ¥59.4

$9.17 ¥61.1

-2.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.74 ¥98.2

$13.79 ¥91.8

6.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ¥350

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.53 ¥130

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 ¥51.5

$7.31 ¥48.65

5.75%

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

$586 ¥3,899

$535 ¥3,563

9.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.6K ¥277.3K

$39.7K ¥264.1K

5.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 ¥391

$55.4 ¥369

6.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 ¥286

$40.48 ¥270

6.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ¥571

$72.9 ¥485

17.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥739

$80.7 ¥537

37.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$563 ¥3,749

$302 ¥2,008

86.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ¥2,418

$153 ¥1,018

137.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,469

$613 ¥4,079

83.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ¥4,165

$296 ¥1,971

111.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,523 ¥50.1K

$2,236 ¥14.9K

236.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,879 ¥25.8K

$4,454 ¥29.7K

-12.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,485 ¥9,888

$1,058 ¥7,046

40.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.36

4.17%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: November 3, 2026

Last update for Shantou: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hangzhou

$363 36.4%

Shantou

$153 22.1% 57.9% $210

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$237 23.8%

Shantou

$216 31.3% 9% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.5%

Shantou

$112 16.2% 16.4% $22

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 10%

Shantou

$86 12.5% 13.5% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$71 7.2%

Shantou

$80 11.6% 12.8% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$68 6.8%

Shantou

$15 * 2.1% 78.5% $53

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$23 2.4%

Shantou

$29 4.2% 24.6% $5.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $563 in Hangzhou versus $302 in Shantou. 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 40% 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 $26 in Hangzhou versus $24 in Shantou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $216 – making Shantou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇨🇳 Shantou

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

Same time as Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

5,389,328

💱 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

Hangzhou Shantou 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hangzhou
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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

Hangzhou vs Shantou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hangzhou is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,496 per month in Hangzhou and $1,037 in Shantou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shantou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $302 there versus $563 in Hangzhou.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Hangzhou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou and $24 in Shantou. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $997 in Hangzhou and $692 in Shantou, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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