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

๐Ÿ™‚ Solo nomad: Shantou is 8.5% cheaper than Shanghai without rent, and 42.3% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ™‚ Family of 3: Shantou is 28.7% cheaper than Shanghai without rent, and 44.5% cheaper with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Shantou
Shanghai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.14 ยฅ14.96
$4.77 ยฅ33.30
-55.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.46 ยฅ115
$35.92 ยฅ251
-54.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.78 ยฅ33.37
$5.45 ยฅ38.01
-12.29%
Cappuccino
$3.23 ยฅ22.56
$3.42 ยฅ23.89
-5.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.45 ยฅ3.14
$0.58 ยฅ4.07
-22.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 ยฅ1.92
$0.34 ยฅ2.35
-17.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.87 ยฅ6.10
$1.42 ยฅ9.91
-38.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 ยฅ19.03
$2.80 ยฅ19.56
-2.50%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Shantou
Shanghai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 ยฅ11.43
$2.09 ยฅ14.59
-21.53%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ยฅ9.97
$1.85 ยฅ12.92
-22.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.67 ยฅ4.68
$1.10 ยฅ7.66
-39.09%
Eggs
$1.92 ยฅ13.40
$1.60 ยฅ11.20
20.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.55 ยฅ87.6
$15.28 ยฅ107
-17.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.91 ยฅ27.31
$3.08 ยฅ21.53
26.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.25 ยฅ85.5
$10.85 ยฅ75.8
12.90%
Apples (1kg)
$1.88 ยฅ13.10
$2.33 ยฅ16.30
-19.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.47 ยฅ10.27
$1.77 ยฅ12.35
-16.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 ยฅ11.41
$1.78 ยฅ12.42
-8.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.24 ยฅ8.64
$1.47 ยฅ10.28
-15.65%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 ยฅ5.48
$0.81 ยฅ5.64
-2.47%
Onion (1kg)
$0.93 ยฅ6.52
$1.16 ยฅ8.10
-19.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.69 ยฅ4.79
$0.63 ยฅ4.37
9.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44 ยฅ3.04
$0.60 ยฅ4.17
-26.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.41 ยฅ23.77
$2.77 ยฅ19.35
23.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.82 ยฅ82.5
$11.49 ยฅ80.2
2.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 ยฅ5.82
$0.84 ยฅ5.86
-1.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 ยฅ13.10
$1.61 ยฅ11.27
16.77%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Shantou
Shanghai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 ยฅ2.56
$0.40 ยฅ2.79
-7.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.87 ยฅ153
$34.13 ยฅ238
-35.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.55 ยฅ10.79
$2.29 ยฅ15.98
-32.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.33 ยฅ2.29
$0.38 ยฅ2.63
-13.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.73 ยฅ46.98
$8.32 ยฅ58.1
-19.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 ยฅ7.90
$1.15 ยฅ8.00
-1.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ยฅ147.6K
$19.7K ยฅ137.2K
7.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K ยฅ135.7K
$18.3K ยฅ127.5K
6.43%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shantou
Shanghai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$53.1 ยฅ371
$52.1 ยฅ363
2.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.21 ยฅ57.3
$8.79 ยฅ61.3
-6.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.70 ยฅ88.7
$13.87 ยฅ96.8
-8.44%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Shantou
Shanghai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.18 ยฅ294
$46.42 ยฅ324
-9.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.99 ยฅ97.7
$19.78 ยฅ138
-29.27%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 ยฅ48.25
$8.28 ยฅ57.8
-16.55%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Shantou
Shanghai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$466 ยฅ3,255
$1,297 ยฅ9,056
-64.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.6K ยฅ143.5K
$30.9K ยฅ215.7K
-33.45%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Shantou
Shanghai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.66 ยฅ340
$59.8 ยฅ417
-18.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.96 ยฅ216
$38.03 ยฅ265
-18.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 ยฅ529
$77.5 ยฅ541
-2.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.6 ยฅ549
$99.3 ยฅ693
-20.82%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Shantou
Shanghai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$278 ยฅ1,943
$944 ยฅ6,591
-70.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$140 ยฅ974
$570 ยฅ3,981
-75.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$548 ยฅ3,824
$2,460 ยฅ17.2K
-77.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$274 ยฅ1,911
$1,204 ยฅ8,401
-77.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,152 ยฅ15.0K
$14.2K ยฅ99.5K
-84.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,238 ยฅ29.6K
$7,080 ยฅ49.4K
-40.13%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Shantou
Shanghai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,015 ยฅ7,088
$1,632 ยฅ11.4K
-37.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.04
3.58
12.85%

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

Last update for Shantou: January 13, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: January 10, 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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