Cost of Living Comparison Between Wuhan and Shantou Cost of Living Comparison Between Wuhan and Shantou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $822 per month in Wuhan vs $673 in Shantou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,293 per month in Wuhan vs $1,102 in Shantou, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,765 per month in Wuhan vs $1,531 in Shantou, rent included.

Wuhan costs about 22% more than Shantou, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Wuhan and Shantou are more affordable than the global median – Wuhan 40% lower, Shantou 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ¥19.84

$2.19 ¥14.70

35.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.53 ¥151

$23.96 ¥160

-5.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 ¥45.98

$5.27 ¥35.31

30.36%

Cappuccino

$2.21 ¥14.83

$3.24 ¥21.69

-31.79%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$0.43 ¥2.88

11.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.04

$0.33 ¥2.23

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.09

$0.90 ¥6.04

17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ¥22.14

$2.20 ¥14.71

50.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ¥13.91

$1.58 ¥10.56

31.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ¥12.31

$1.50 ¥10.07

22.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.69

$0.77 ¥5.13

29.87%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.81

$1.74 ¥11.65

-7.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.10 ¥87.8

$13.51 ¥90.5

-3.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 ¥23.80

$3.56 ¥23.85

-0.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 ¥91.7

$13.22 ¥88.5

3.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ¥14.70

$1.97 ¥13.17

11.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$1.51 ¥10.11

-19.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ¥9.38

$1.82 ¥12.17

-23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.61

$1.32 ¥8.81

-13.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.11

$0.90 ¥6.03

-15.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.13

$1.02 ¥6.83

-24.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.37 ¥2.48

$0.54 ¥3.61

-31.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ¥3.22

$0.43 ¥2.91

11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 ¥43.83

$3.71 ¥24.86

76.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 ¥78.5

$12.49 ¥83.7

-6.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.89 ¥5.96

-13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ¥13.99

$1.85 ¥12.41

12.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.35 ¥2.36

62.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.32 ¥203

$23.42 ¥157

29.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$1.53 ¥10.22

-0.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.35 ¥2.38

-17.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 ¥30.60

$6.94 ¥46.49

-34.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.63

$1.26 ¥8.44

2.38%

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

$19.2K ¥128.6K

$19.2K ¥128.5K

0.04%

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

$16.8K ¥112.3K

$18.0K ¥120.6K

-6.89%

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

$58.7 ¥393

$58.5 ¥392

0.26%

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

$8.23 ¥55.1

$8.84 ¥59.2

-6.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$13.68 ¥91.7

-13.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ¥389

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.33 ¥150

Cinema Ticket

$6.00 ¥40.20

$7.52 ¥50.4

-20.21%

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

$423 ¥2,831

$537 ¥3,595

-21.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,431 ¥63.2K

$24.5K ¥163.8K

-61.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ¥353

$49.65 ¥333

6.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.38 ¥224

$40.04 ¥268

-16.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 ¥528

$70.5 ¥472

11.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ¥675

$89.4 ¥598

12.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$345 ¥2,313

$298 ¥1,996

15.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 ¥1,392

$149 ¥1,001

39.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 ¥4,337

$597 ¥3,997

8.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ¥2,370

$295 ¥1,977

19.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,067 ¥20.5K

$2,207 ¥14.8K

39.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,527 ¥10.2K

$4,469 ¥29.9K

-65.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,111 ¥7,443

$1,078 ¥7,221

3.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.37

-0.59%

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

Last update for Wuhan: September 6, 2026

Last update for Shantou: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $345 in Wuhan versus $298 in Shantou. 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 3% higher in Wuhan, 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 $23.00 in Wuhan versus $24.00 in Shantou. Groceries tell a different story – $220 in Wuhan vs $217 in Shantou – so Shantou wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Wuhan vs Shantou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $822 in Wuhan, $673 in Shantou – roughly 22% apart. Wuhan costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,233 per month in Wuhan and $1,009 in Shantou. 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 1% more in Wuhan, 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 $23.00 in Wuhan and $24.00 in Shantou. 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 $822 in Wuhan and $673 in Shantou, 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, Wuhan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.