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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,209 in Shanghai versus $682 in Shantou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,979 in Shanghai versus $1,079 in Shantou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Shanghai versus $1,475 in Shantou.

Living in Shanghai is roughly 77% more expensive than Shantou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 10% lower, Shantou 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.90 ¥33.19

$2.04 ¥13.81

140.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.30 ¥246

$16.77 ¥113

116.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ¥37.86

$4.85 ¥32.83

15.26%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ¥24.04

$3.25 ¥22.02

9.23%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$0.47 ¥3.21

21.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.46

$0.30 ¥2.05

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ¥9.67

$0.85 ¥5.78

68.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ¥19.26

$2.62 ¥17.73

8.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ¥14.61

$1.64 ¥11.12

31.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$1.41 ¥9.51

26.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.42

$0.68 ¥4.64

61.76%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.44

$1.91 ¥12.95

-11.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.30 ¥104

$12.68 ¥85.9

20.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥21.14

$3.74 ¥25.29

-16.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ¥72.8

$12.23 ¥82.8

-12.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ¥15.30

$1.82 ¥12.30

24.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ¥11.32

$1.47 ¥9.95

13.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.17

$1.67 ¥11.33

7.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.36

$1.23 ¥8.36

24.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.46

$0.81 ¥5.51

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.53

$0.98 ¥6.65

13.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.61

$0.64 ¥4.32

6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.41 ¥2.75

36.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ¥19.20

$3.52 ¥23.81

-19.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 ¥78.6

$12.35 ¥83.6

-6.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.32

$0.82 ¥5.58

-3.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.07

$1.87 ¥12.65

-12.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.37 ¥2.48

16.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.41 ¥233

$22.53 ¥153

52.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ¥14.93

$1.56 ¥10.55

41.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.33 ¥2.23

15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 ¥56.7

$6.81 ¥46.07

23.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.71

$1.14 ¥7.70

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

$19.5K ¥132.3K

$20.9K ¥141.2K

-6.30%

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

$18.1K ¥122.9K

$19.4K ¥131.1K

-6.27%

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

$52.8 ¥357

$54.3 ¥368

-2.82%

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

$8.53 ¥57.8

$8.22 ¥55.6

3.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 ¥93.7

$12.89 ¥87.2

7.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.02 ¥318

$42.13 ¥285

11.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.81 ¥134

$14.10 ¥95.5

40.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 ¥57.3

$7.11 ¥48.14

18.99%

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

$1,303 ¥8,817

$450 ¥3,049

189.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K ¥213.7K

$20.7K ¥140.0K

52.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥403

$49.52 ¥335

20.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥258

$30.31 ¥205

25.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ¥533

$75.8 ¥513

3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 ¥672

$79.5 ¥538

24.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,313

$281 ¥1,903

231.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 ¥3,858

$138 ¥933

313.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 ¥16.9K

$550 ¥3,726

352.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ¥8,070

$274 ¥1,855

335.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥94.7K

$3,174 ¥21.5K

340.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,729 ¥45.5K

$1,799 ¥12.2K

274.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,689 ¥11.4K

$1,043 ¥7,062

61.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

4.04

-11.39%

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

Last update for Shanghai: June 2, 2026

Last update for Shantou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $933 in Shanghai and $281 in Shantou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 62% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $36.00 in Shanghai vs $17.00 in Shantou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $209 per month, with Shantou cheaper across the board.

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

Shanghai vs Shantou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Shantou differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,209 vs $682 including rent). Shantou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shanghai pays 62% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $933 in Shanghai versus $281 in Shantou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,303 in Shanghai versus $450 in Shantou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $682 in Shantou versus $1,209 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shantou but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Shantou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Shantou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.