Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shantou and Hangzhou

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.

33

Cost of Living Index in Shantou
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Shantou Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

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Shantou

🇨🇳 China

$692

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shantou and in Hangzhou

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 Hangzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Shantou $692
Hangzhou $997

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

Shantou $1,103
Hangzhou $1,539

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

Shantou $1,515
Hangzhou $2,080

Shantou is about 31% cheaper than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 ¥14.69

$3.81 ¥25.36

-41.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.43 ¥163

$25.68 ¥171

-4.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 ¥34.49

$4.56 ¥30.34

13.60%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.76

$3.34 ¥22.25

2.40%

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

$0.46 ¥3.07

$0.61 ¥4.05

-24.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ¥2.12

$0.33 ¥2.21

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.89 ¥5.92

$1.37 ¥9.13

-35.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ¥14.64

$2.36 ¥15.73

-6.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.28

$1.86 ¥12.41

-17.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥10.24

$1.55 ¥10.30

-0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.76

$1.15 ¥7.67

-37.39%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.38

$2.14 ¥14.24

-20.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 ¥90.1

$19.27 ¥128

-29.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 ¥24.03

$3.87 ¥25.79

-6.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 ¥86.6

$10.08 ¥67.1

29.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$2.49 ¥16.60

-18.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.49

$1.42 ¥9.44

11.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.76

$1.46 ¥9.69

21.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.19

$1.54 ¥10.27

-10.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.55

$0.95 ¥6.33

-12.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.78

$0.94 ¥6.23

8.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.65 ¥4.32

-4.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.56 ¥3.76

-23.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.54

$4.12 ¥27.40

-10.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 ¥81.0

$13.37 ¥89.0

-9.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥5.89

$0.82 ¥5.44

7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.34

$1.67 ¥11.13

1.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ¥2.43

$0.43 ¥2.87

-13.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.35 ¥162

$17.94 ¥119

35.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.15

$1.90 ¥12.67

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.44

$0.37 ¥2.46

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.34 ¥48.84

$6.97 ¥46.40

5.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.37

$1.31 ¥8.75

-3.82%

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

$19.7K ¥131.3K

$19.9K ¥132.4K

-0.83%

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

$18.3K ¥122.1K

$18.6K ¥123.7K

-1.32%

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

$57.4 ¥382

$47.60 ¥317

20.65%

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

$9.17 ¥61.1

$8.93 ¥59.4

2.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.79 ¥91.8

$14.74 ¥98.2

-6.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ¥350

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.53 ¥130

Cinema Ticket

$7.31 ¥48.65

$7.73 ¥51.5

-5.43%

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

$535 ¥3,563

$586 ¥3,899

-8.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.7K ¥264.1K

$41.6K ¥277.3K

-4.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ¥369

$58.8 ¥391

-5.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ¥270

$42.92 ¥286

-5.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥485

$85.8 ¥571

-15.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 ¥537

$111 ¥739

-27.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$302 ¥2,008

$563 ¥3,749

-46.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 ¥1,018

$363 ¥2,418

-57.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ¥4,079

$1,122 ¥7,469

-45.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ¥1,971

$625 ¥4,165

-52.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,236 ¥14.9K

$7,523 ¥50.1K

-70.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,454 ¥29.7K

$3,879 ¥25.8K

14.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ¥7,046

$1,485 ¥9,888

-28.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.5

-4.00%

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

Last update for Shantou: October 31, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shantou

$216 31.3%

Hangzhou

$237 23.8% 9.9% $21

Accommodation & Living

Shantou

$153 22.1%

Hangzhou

$363 36.4% 138% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Shantou

$112 16.2%

Hangzhou

$134 13.5% 19.7% $22

Eating Out

Shantou

$86 12.5%

Hangzhou

$100 10% 15.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shantou

$80 11.6%

Hangzhou

$71 7.2% 11.4% $9.1

Getting Around

Shantou

$29 4.2%

Hangzhou

$23 2.4% 19.7% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Shantou

$15 * 2.1%

Hangzhou

$68 6.8% 366% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shantou

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

17:08 5:08 PM

Same time as Shantou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,389,328

10,360,000

💱 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

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Between locations

Shantou Hangzhou 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shantou
Hangzhou

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 Hangzhou: 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 $1,037 per month in Shantou and $1,496 in Hangzhou. 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 $24 in Shantou and $26 in Hangzhou. 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 $692 in Shantou and $997 in Hangzhou, 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.