Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shantou and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Shantou: $691 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Shantou

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shantou and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $691 in Shantou versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Shantou $691
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,107 in Shantou versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Shantou $1,107
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,524 in Shantou versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Shantou $1,524
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Shantou costs roughly 57% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shantou is 49% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ¥15.17

$10.62 MX$200

-78.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.55 ¥157

$48.35 MX$909

-51.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 ¥35.00

$10.35 MX$194

-49.08%

Cappuccino

$3.29 ¥21.86

$3.69 MX$69.4

-10.84%

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

$0.47 ¥3.14

$1.67 MX$31.32

-71.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.04

$1.27 MX$23.78

-75.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$3.19 MX$60.0

-70.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ¥14.78

$5.31 MX$99.7

-58.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ¥10.68

$1.72 MX$32.41

-6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ¥9.77

$3.04 MX$57.1

-51.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.17

$1.94 MX$36.48

-59.79%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.32

$2.89 MX$54.3

-41.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 ¥91.0

$10.97 MX$206

24.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ¥21.86

$9.25 MX$174

-64.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$15.13 MX$284

-14.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.63

$3.05 MX$57.3

-32.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ¥10.46

$1.94 MX$36.48

-19.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 ¥12.16

$2.03 MX$38.06

-9.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.15

$2.31 MX$43.50

-40.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.67

$2.04 MX$38.25

-58.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.71

$1.80 MX$33.83

-43.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.94

$1.48 MX$27.80

-60.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.84

$1.27 MX$23.82

-66.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.06

$5.30 MX$99.7

-28.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥78.4

$16.10 MX$303

-26.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.55

$1.98 MX$37.27

-57.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥11.57

$4.25 MX$79.9

-59.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$0.31 MX$5.73

22.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.13 ¥160

$19.73 MX$371

22.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.71

$1.84 MX$34.53

-20.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.53 MX$10.03

-26.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.39 ¥49.13

$5.30 MX$99.5

39.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.27

$1.51 MX$28.39

-17.88%

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

$19.7K ¥130.9K

$21.8K MX$408.8K

-9.46%

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

$18.2K ¥120.8K

$24.0K MX$450.8K

-24.19%

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

$58.3 ¥388

$63.0 MX$1,184

-7.40%

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

$9.17 ¥60.9

$27.39 MX$515

-66.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 ¥92.0

$35.67 MX$670

-61.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$7.42 ¥49.29

$6.40 MX$120

15.94%

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

$527 ¥3,505

$432 MX$8,111

22.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥161.8K

$11.4K MX$214.7K

113.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 ¥367

$68.2 MX$1,282

-19.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ¥269

$53.1 MX$999

-23.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥481

$108 MX$2,026

-32.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 ¥617

$117 MX$2,204

-20.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 ¥1,963

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-73.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 ¥984

$710 MX$13.4K

-79.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 ¥3,924

$2,588 MX$48.6K

-77.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ¥1,998

$1,406 MX$26.4K

-78.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,209 ¥14.7K

$3,631 MX$68.2K

-39.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,479 ¥29.8K

$2,135 MX$40.1K

109.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,070 ¥7,110

$946 MX$17.8K

13.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

11.35

-70.48%

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

Last update for Shantou: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shantou

$214 31%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 49.1% $105

Accommodation & Living

Shantou

$148 21.4%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 380% $562

Clothing & Footwear

Shantou

$117 17%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 32.7% $38

Eating Out

Shantou

$86 12.4%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 132% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shantou

$81 11.8%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 55% $45

Getting Around

Shantou

$29 4.2%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 12.4% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Shantou

$15 * 2.2%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 383% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $295 in Shantou and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shantou pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24 in Shantou vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $320 per month, with Shantou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shantou

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

14:01 2:01 PM

00:01 12:01 AM

14 h behind Shantou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,389,328

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shantou Mexico City 13,870 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Shantou
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $691 in Shantou and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Shantou is about 57% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Shantou, 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: $295 in Shantou versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 18% less than in Shantou. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $527 in Shantou versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $691 in Shantou versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Shantou but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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.