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Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Shantou Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Shantou

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Shanghai is 9.3% more expensive than Shantou without rent, and 73.2% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Shanghai is 40.3% more expensive than Shantou without rent, and 80.1% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Shanghai
Shantou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.77 ยฅ33.35
$2.14 ยฅ14.98
122.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.92 ยฅ251
$16.46 ยฅ115
118.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.45 ยฅ38.07
$4.78 ยฅ33.41
14.02%
Cappuccino
$3.42 ยฅ23.93
$3.23 ยฅ22.59
5.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 ยฅ4.08
$0.45 ยฅ3.14
28.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ยฅ2.36
$0.28 ยฅ1.93
21.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.42 ยฅ9.92
$0.87 ยฅ6.11
63.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 ยฅ19.59
$2.73 ยฅ19.06
2.56%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Shanghai
Shantou
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.09 ยฅ14.61
$1.64 ยฅ11.45
27.44%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 ยฅ12.94
$1.43 ยฅ9.99
29.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.10 ยฅ7.67
$0.67 ยฅ4.68
64.18%
Eggs
$1.60 ยฅ11.21
$1.92 ยฅ13.42
-16.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.28 ยฅ107
$12.55 ยฅ87.7
21.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.08 ยฅ21.56
$3.91 ยฅ27.35
-21.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.85 ยฅ75.9
$12.25 ยฅ85.6
-11.43%
Apples (1kg)
$2.33 ยฅ16.32
$1.88 ยฅ13.12
23.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 ยฅ12.37
$1.47 ยฅ10.28
20.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 ยฅ12.43
$1.63 ยฅ11.42
9.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 ยฅ10.29
$1.24 ยฅ8.65
18.55%
Potato (1kg)
$0.81 ยฅ5.65
$0.79 ยฅ5.49
2.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 ยฅ8.11
$0.93 ยฅ6.53
24.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ยฅ4.38
$0.69 ยฅ4.79
-8.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ยฅ4.17
$0.44 ยฅ3.04
36.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.77 ยฅ19.38
$3.41 ยฅ23.81
-18.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.49 ยฅ80.3
$11.82 ยฅ82.6
-2.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 ยฅ5.87
$0.83 ยฅ5.83
1.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 ยฅ11.29
$1.88 ยฅ13.12
-14.36%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Shanghai
Shantou
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ยฅ2.79
$0.37 ยฅ2.57
8.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.13 ยฅ239
$21.87 ยฅ153
56.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.29 ยฅ16.00
$1.55 ยฅ10.81
47.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 ยฅ2.64
$0.33 ยฅ2.30
15.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.32 ยฅ58.2
$6.73 ยฅ47.05
23.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 ยฅ8.01
$1.13 ยฅ7.91
1.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K ยฅ137.4K
$21.1K ยฅ147.8K
-7.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.3K ยฅ127.7K
$19.4K ยฅ135.9K
-6.05%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shanghai
Shantou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$52.1 ยฅ364
$53.1 ยฅ371
-2.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.79 ยฅ61.4
$8.21 ยฅ57.4
7.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.87 ยฅ96.9
$12.70 ยฅ88.8
9.21%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Shanghai
Shantou
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.42 ยฅ325
$42.18 ยฅ295
10.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.78 ยฅ138
$13.99 ยฅ97.8
41.39%
Cinema Ticket
$8.28 ยฅ57.9
$6.91 ยฅ48.32
19.83%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Shanghai
Shantou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,297 ยฅ9,069
$466 ยฅ3,259
178.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.9K ยฅ216.0K
$20.6K ยฅ143.7K
50.26%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Shanghai
Shantou
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 ยฅ418
$48.66 ยฅ340
22.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.03 ยฅ266
$30.96 ยฅ216
22.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.5 ยฅ541
$75.8 ยฅ530
2.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.3 ยฅ694
$78.6 ยฅ550
26.30%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Shanghai
Shantou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$944 ยฅ6,600
$278 ยฅ1,946
239.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$570 ยฅ3,986
$140 ยฅ975
308.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,460 ยฅ17.2K
$548 ยฅ3,829
349.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,204 ยฅ8,413
$274 ยฅ1,913
339.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$14.2K ยฅ99.6K
$2,152 ยฅ15.0K
562.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,080 ยฅ49.5K
$4,238 ยฅ29.6K
67.04%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Shanghai
Shantou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,632 ยฅ11.4K
$1,015 ยฅ7,098
60.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.58
4.04
-11.39%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Shanghai: January 10, 2026

Last update for Shantou: January 13, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
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