Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shantou and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Shantou: $692 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Shantou
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Shantou Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index

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Shantou

🇨🇳 China

$692

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shantou and in Beijing (Pekin)

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

A single person spends $692 per month in Shantou vs $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Shantou $692
Beijing (Pekin) $1,184

A couple spends around $1,104 per month in Shantou vs $1,916 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Shantou $1,104
Beijing (Pekin) $1,916

A family of three spends $1,516 per month in Shantou vs $2,647 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Shantou $1,516
Beijing (Pekin) $2,647

Shantou is about 42% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Shantou and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Shantou 49% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ¥15.34

$4.47 ¥29.86

-48.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.70 ¥158

$29.66 ¥198

-20.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥34.58

$5.21 ¥34.80

-0.77%

Cappuccino

$3.38 ¥22.63

$3.72 ¥24.86

-9.14%

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

$0.47 ¥3.12

$0.50 ¥3.34

-6.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.05

$0.26 ¥1.73

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.91

$1.17 ¥7.84

-24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.27

$1.66 ¥11.07

28.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥10.71

$1.65 ¥11.05

-3.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ¥9.73

$1.76 ¥11.74

-17.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$1.27 ¥8.51

-39.37%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.33

$1.88 ¥12.55

-10.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.63 ¥91.1

$14.65 ¥98.0

-6.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ¥22.90

$3.15 ¥21.03

8.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.16 ¥88.0

$11.03 ¥73.8

19.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$2.02 ¥13.53

-3.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.05

$1.72 ¥11.47

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.13

$2.08 ¥13.94

-12.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.70

$1.55 ¥10.35

-16.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ¥5.49

$0.72 ¥4.82

13.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.11

$0.85 ¥5.68

24.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.96

$0.69 ¥4.60

-14.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.61 ¥4.10

-29.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.70

$4.32 ¥28.88

-14.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.00 ¥80.2

$14.10 ¥94.3

-14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.57

$1.01 ¥6.76

-17.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ¥11.98

$1.82 ¥12.17

-1.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$0.70 ¥4.67

-48.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.27 ¥162

$34.48 ¥231

-29.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.24

$1.92 ¥12.84

-20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.33 ¥2.19

15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.31 ¥48.85

$7.67 ¥51.3

-4.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.24

$1.34 ¥8.93

-8.21%

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

$19.8K ¥132.3K

$19.3K ¥128.9K

2.67%

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

$18.0K ¥120.5K

$18.3K ¥122.3K

-1.51%

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

$56.7 ¥379

$57.3 ¥383

-1.15%

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

$8.89 ¥59.4

$9.13 ¥61.0

-2.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.86 ¥92.7

$14.22 ¥95.1

-2.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥165

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ¥50.5

$7.40 ¥49.48

1.89%

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

$540 ¥3,613

$660 ¥4,410

-18.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥162.0K

$24.2K ¥161.9K

0.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 ¥372

$69.8 ¥467

-20.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ¥265

$39.69 ¥265

0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥488

$88.9 ¥594

-17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 ¥611

$127 ¥849

-27.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 ¥1,991

$940 ¥6,286

-68.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 ¥1,011

$524 ¥3,501

-71.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 ¥4,027

$2,319 ¥15.5K

-74.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ¥1,968

$1,128 ¥7,542

-73.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,278 ¥15.2K

$12.4K ¥82.8K

-81.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,469 ¥29.9K

$6,284 ¥42.0K

-28.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,097

$1,713 ¥11.5K

-38.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.12

7.37%

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

Last update for Shantou: October 13, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shantou

$214 31%

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2% 5.8% $13

Accommodation & Living

Shantou

$151 21.8%

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2% 246% $372

Clothing & Footwear

Shantou

$117 16.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4% 25.2% $29

Eating Out

Shantou

$86 12.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1% 25.4% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shantou

$79 11.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8% 1.6% $1.3

Getting Around

Shantou

$29 4.2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5% 40% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Shantou

$15 * 2.2%

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8% 279% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $298 in Shantou versus $940 in Beijing (Pekin). 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 61% higher in Beijing (Pekin), 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 $24.00 in Shantou versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $227 – making Shantou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shantou

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

Same time as Shantou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,389,328

21,893,095 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shantou Beijing (Pekin) 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shantou
Beijing (Pekin)

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

Shantou vs Beijing (Pekin): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,038 per month in Shantou and $1,775 in Beijing (Pekin). 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Shantou and $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $692 in Shantou and $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a gap of about 71%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shantou, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Shantou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.