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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $785 per month in Xiamen vs $705 in Shantou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,259 per month in Xiamen vs $1,103 in Shantou, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,732 per month in Xiamen vs $1,500 in Shantou, rent included.

Xiamen costs about 11% more than Shantou, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Xiamen and Shantou are more affordable than the global median – Xiamen 41% lower, Shantou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.87 ¥19.39

$2.03 ¥13.73

41.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.00 ¥156

$16.87 ¥114

36.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.66 ¥38.27

$4.97 ¥33.62

13.88%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ¥18.81

$3.24 ¥21.96

-14.20%

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

$0.48 ¥3.24

$0.47 ¥3.21

2.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.12

$0.30 ¥2.05

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 ¥9.52

$0.80 ¥5.43

76.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 ¥24.04

$2.67 ¥18.10

32.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.46

$1.69 ¥11.41

8.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 ¥14.24

$1.37 ¥9.27

53.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.27

$0.71 ¥4.83

9.86%

Eggs

$1.34 ¥9.07

$1.86 ¥12.60

-27.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 ¥76.3

$12.66 ¥85.7

-10.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.34 ¥15.85

$3.76 ¥25.44

-37.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.12 ¥75.3

$12.25 ¥82.9

-9.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 ¥16.45

$1.88 ¥12.74

29.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 ¥9.45

$1.43 ¥9.67

-2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.16

$1.68 ¥11.35

-10.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 ¥13.04

$1.28 ¥8.64

50.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.22

$0.78 ¥5.28

17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.46

$0.95 ¥6.43

77.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ¥5.89

$0.68 ¥4.59

27.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.67

$0.43 ¥2.92

25.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 ¥19.13

$3.39 ¥22.93

-16.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 ¥75.1

$12.39 ¥83.9

-10.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥5.06

$0.83 ¥5.63

-9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ¥10.73

$1.82 ¥12.34

-12.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ¥1.49

$0.36 ¥2.46

-38.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.20 ¥75.8

$22.01 ¥149

-49.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 ¥9.50

$1.54 ¥10.43

-9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$0.36 ¥2.41

-27.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 ¥46.39

$6.69 ¥45.31

2.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.63

$1.14 ¥7.72

-0.88%

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

$16.6K ¥112.2K

$21.1K ¥142.9K

-21.47%

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

$17.4K ¥118.1K

$19.5K ¥131.7K

-10.31%

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

$39.46 ¥267

$53.3 ¥361

-25.92%

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

$9.88 ¥66.9

$8.53 ¥57.7

15.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.78 ¥66.2

$12.89 ¥87.2

-24.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 ¥300

$41.05 ¥278

8.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.67 ¥65.5

$14.13 ¥95.6

-31.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.59 ¥64.9

$6.78 ¥45.92

41.45%

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

$459 ¥3,104

$450 ¥3,043

2.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K ¥149.5K

$20.2K ¥136.7K

9.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.60 ¥288

$49.29 ¥334

-13.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.83 ¥182

$29.86 ¥202

-10.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 ¥581

$75.6 ¥512

13.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 ¥535

$77.8 ¥527

1.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 ¥2,284

$280 ¥1,897

20.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 ¥1,657

$139 ¥938

76.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$865 ¥5,853

$567 ¥3,835

52.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ¥3,450

$281 ¥1,904

81.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,479 ¥57.4K

$2,249 ¥15.2K

277.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,751 ¥32.2K

$4,385 ¥29.7K

8.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 ¥7,544

$1,037 ¥7,020

7.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.56

4.04

-11.88%

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

Last update for Xiamen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Shantou: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $338 in Xiamen versus $280 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 7% 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 $23.00 in Xiamen versus $17.00 in Shantou. Groceries tell a different story – $208 in Xiamen vs $210 in Shantou – so Xiamen 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

Xiamen vs Shantou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $785 in Xiamen, $705 in Shantou – roughly 11% apart. Xiamen costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,178 per month in Xiamen and $1,057 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Xiamen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Xiamen and $17.00 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 $785 in Xiamen and $705 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, Xiamen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.