Cost of Living Comparison Between Shantou and Xiamen Cost of Living Comparison Between Shantou and Xiamen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $676 per month in Shantou vs $843 in Xiamen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,098 per month in Shantou vs $1,326 in Xiamen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,520 per month in Shantou vs $1,809 in Xiamen, rent included.

Shantou is about 20% cheaper than Xiamen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Shantou and Xiamen are more affordable than the global median – Shantou 51% lower, Xiamen 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.22 ¥14.89

$3.06 ¥20.52

-27.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.97 ¥161

$23.77 ¥160

0.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥35.82

$5.23 ¥35.12

2.10%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ¥22.75

$2.51 ¥16.84

35.06%

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

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.45 ¥3.03

4.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.25

$0.31 ¥2.11

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.85 ¥5.73

$1.50 ¥10.08

-43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.23

$2.88 ¥19.35

-21.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ¥11.04

$1.51 ¥10.10

8.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ¥9.88

$2.24 ¥15.03

-34.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.11

$0.91 ¥6.12

-16.48%

Eggs

$1.66 ¥11.16

$1.57 ¥10.55

5.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 ¥91.9

$12.07 ¥81.0

13.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ¥23.86

$2.46 ¥16.48

44.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.04 ¥87.5

$11.98 ¥80.4

8.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ¥13.66

$2.56 ¥17.17

-20.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ¥10.16

$1.43 ¥9.57

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.07

$1.66 ¥11.13

8.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.14

$2.06 ¥13.81

-33.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.60

$1.03 ¥6.94

-19.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.84

$1.82 ¥12.20

-43.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.85

$0.91 ¥6.10

-37.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ¥2.94

$0.50 ¥3.38

-12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.62 ¥24.30

$2.93 ¥19.64

23.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 ¥80.6

$11.19 ¥75.1

7.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.59

$0.79 ¥5.27

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.25

$1.69 ¥11.34

8.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ¥2.38

$0.14 ¥0.93

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.72 ¥159

$11.99 ¥80.5

97.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.81

$1.52 ¥10.17

-3.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$0.31 ¥2.08

16.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 ¥47.71

$6.97 ¥46.76

2.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.95

$1.27 ¥8.53

-7.09%

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

$19.6K ¥131.7K

$19.6K ¥131.8K

-0.11%

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

$18.5K ¥124.2K

$17.5K ¥117.3K

5.94%

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

$57.1 ¥383

$44.32 ¥297

28.75%

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

$9.04 ¥60.7

$8.41 ¥56.4

7.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.90 ¥93.3

$10.45 ¥70.1

33.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 ¥319

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.51 ¥70.5

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 ¥48.39

$9.99 ¥67.1

-27.83%

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

$525 ¥3,521

$483 ¥3,242

8.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥163.9K

$24.7K ¥165.5K

-0.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.58 ¥333

$38.51 ¥258

28.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 ¥271

$28.54 ¥192

41.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 ¥462

$106 ¥711

-35.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 ¥593

$85.8 ¥576

3.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$293 ¥1,964

$352 ¥2,365

-16.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 ¥1,016

$260 ¥1,745

-41.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ¥4,010

$832 ¥5,581

-28.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 ¥2,003

$540 ¥3,623

-44.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,201 ¥14.8K

$8,531 ¥57.2K

-74.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,417 ¥29.6K

$4,728 ¥31.7K

-6.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,039 ¥6,972

$1,131 ¥7,589

-8.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

3.46

-1.73%

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

Last update for Shantou: August 30, 2026

Last update for Xiamen: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $293 in Shantou versus $352 in Xiamen. 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 9% higher in Xiamen, 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 $24.00 in Xiamen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $216 – making Shantou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Xiamen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $676 in Shantou, $843 in Xiamen – roughly 25% apart. Xiamen costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,014 per month in Shantou and $1,264 in Xiamen. 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.

Groceries cost about 0% more in Xiamen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Shantou and $24.00 in Xiamen. 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 $676 in Shantou and $843 in Xiamen, 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Xiamen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.