Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shantou and Shenzhen

For one person, living is cheaper in Shantou: $691 a month against $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index

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Shantou

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shantou and in Shenzhen

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

A single person spends $691 per month in Shantou vs $1,117 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Shantou $691
Shenzhen $1,117

A couple spends around $1,107 per month in Shantou vs $1,714 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Shantou $1,107
Shenzhen $1,714

A family of three spends $1,524 per month in Shantou vs $2,310 in Shenzhen, rent included.

Shantou $1,524
Shenzhen $2,310

Shantou is about 38% cheaper than Shenzhen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Shantou and Shenzhen are more affordable than the global median – Shantou 49% lower, Shenzhen 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ¥15.17

$3.66 ¥24.31

-37.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.55 ¥157

$29.39 ¥195

-19.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 ¥35.00

$5.28 ¥35.12

-0.19%

Cappuccino

$3.29 ¥21.86

$3.36 ¥22.31

-2.08%

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

$0.47 ¥3.14

$0.58 ¥3.84

-18.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.04

$0.36 ¥2.37

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.48 ¥9.81

-37.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ¥14.78

$2.14 ¥14.24

3.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ¥10.68

$1.54 ¥10.21

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ¥9.77

$1.63 ¥10.83

-9.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.17

$1.14 ¥7.59

-31.58%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.32

$1.75 ¥11.62

-2.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 ¥91.0

$20.74 ¥138

-33.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ¥21.86

$3.41 ¥22.68

-3.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$14.42 ¥95.8

-10.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.63

$2.25 ¥14.94

-8.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ¥10.46

$1.62 ¥10.77

-3.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 ¥12.16

$1.94 ¥12.86

-5.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.15

$1.42 ¥9.46

-2.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.67

$1.08 ¥7.19

-21.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.71

$1.28 ¥8.51

-21.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.94

$0.60 ¥3.96

-1.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.84

$0.56 ¥3.75

-23.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.06

$4.43 ¥29.46

-14.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥78.4

$12.08 ¥80.3

-2.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.55

$0.92 ¥6.14

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥11.57

$1.83 ¥12.13

-4.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$0.44 ¥2.90

-13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.13 ¥160

$18.05 ¥120

33.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.71

$1.53 ¥10.14

-4.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.41 ¥2.74

-4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.39 ¥49.13

$7.36 ¥48.90

0.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.27

$1.32 ¥8.76

-6.06%

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

$19.7K ¥130.9K

$19.2K ¥127.8K

2.44%

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

$18.2K ¥120.8K

$18.0K ¥119.9K

0.76%

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

$58.3 ¥388

$64.8 ¥430

-9.96%

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

$9.17 ¥60.9

$9.90 ¥65.8

-7.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 ¥92.0

$16.40 ¥109

-15.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥325

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

Cinema Ticket

$7.42 ¥49.29

$7.28 ¥48.37

1.92%

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

$527 ¥3,505

$537 ¥3,567

-1.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥161.8K

$24.4K ¥162.2K

-0.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 ¥367

$55.7 ¥370

-0.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ¥269

$40.56 ¥270

-0.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥481

$73.1 ¥485

-0.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 ¥617

$93.9 ¥624

-1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 ¥1,963

$753 ¥5,003

-60.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 ¥984

$471 ¥3,127

-68.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 ¥3,924

$1,847 ¥12.3K

-68.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ¥1,998

$830 ¥5,516

-63.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,209 ¥14.7K

$13.2K ¥87.6K

-83.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,479 ¥29.8K

$6,479 ¥43.1K

-30.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,070 ¥7,110

$1,763 ¥11.7K

-39.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

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

Last update for Shantou: October 26, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shantou

$214 31%

Shenzhen

$249 22.3% 16.2% $35

Accommodation & Living

Shantou

$148 21.4%

Shenzhen

$471 42.1% 218% $323

Clothing & Footwear

Shantou

$117 17%

Shenzhen

$118 10.6% 0.8% $1

Eating Out

Shantou

$86 12.4%

Shenzhen

$101 9% 17.5% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shantou

$81 11.8%

Shenzhen

$91 8.2% 12% $9.7

Getting Around

Shantou

$29 4.2%

Shenzhen

$23 2.1% 19.6% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Shantou

$15 * 2.2%

Shenzhen

$64 5.7% 328% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $295 in Shantou versus $753 in Shenzhen. 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 65% higher in Shenzhen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Shantou versus $29 in Shenzhen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $249 – making Shantou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shantou

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🕒 Local time

15:32 3:32 PM

Same time as Shantou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,389,328

12,528,300

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shantou Shenzhen 280 km

From you

Shantou
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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 Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $691 in Shantou, $1,117 in Shenzhen – Shantou comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,036 per month in Shantou and $1,675 in Shenzhen. 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 $295 there versus $753 in Shenzhen.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Shenzhen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Shantou and $29 in Shenzhen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Shantou. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shenzhen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.