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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $789 per month in Xiamen vs $682 in Shantou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,265 per month in Xiamen vs $1,079 in Shantou, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,741 per month in Xiamen vs $1,475 in Shantou, rent included.

Xiamen costs about 16% more than Shantou, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Xiamen and Shantou are more affordable than the global median – Xiamen 41% lower, Shantou 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.83 ¥19.17

$2.04 ¥13.81

38.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.34 ¥158

$16.77 ¥113

39.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 ¥36.66

$4.85 ¥32.83

11.75%

Cappuccino

$2.86 ¥19.39

$3.25 ¥22.02

-12.00%

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 ¥2.11

$0.30 ¥2.05

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ¥9.28

$0.85 ¥5.78

61.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 ¥22.96

$2.62 ¥17.73

29.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ¥12.68

$1.64 ¥11.12

14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 ¥14.04

$1.41 ¥9.51

46.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.44

$0.68 ¥4.64

17.65%

Eggs

$1.38 ¥9.35

$1.91 ¥12.95

-27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 ¥75.0

$12.68 ¥85.9

-12.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.28 ¥15.42

$3.74 ¥25.29

-39.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.28 ¥76.3

$12.23 ¥82.8

-7.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 ¥16.71

$1.82 ¥12.30

35.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 ¥8.99

$1.47 ¥9.95

-9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.18

$1.67 ¥11.33

-10.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.57

$1.23 ¥8.36

51.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.43

$0.81 ¥5.51

17.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ¥11.49

$0.98 ¥6.65

73.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ¥5.86

$0.64 ¥4.32

35.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.75

$0.41 ¥2.75

34.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 ¥18.76

$3.52 ¥23.81

-21.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 ¥75.9

$12.35 ¥83.6

-9.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.34

$0.82 ¥5.58

-3.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.13

$1.87 ¥12.65

-12.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ¥1.49

$0.37 ¥2.48

-40.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.32 ¥76.7

$22.53 ¥153

-49.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.15

$1.56 ¥10.55

-13.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ¥1.91

$0.33 ¥2.23

-15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 ¥43.91

$6.81 ¥46.07

-4.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥8.09

$1.14 ¥7.70

4.39%

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

$16.2K ¥109.5K

$20.9K ¥141.2K

-22.46%

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

$17.5K ¥118.4K

$19.4K ¥131.1K

-9.65%

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

$39.37 ¥266

$54.3 ¥368

-27.55%

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

$9.59 ¥64.9

$8.22 ¥55.6

16.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.73 ¥65.9

$12.89 ¥87.2

-24.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.67 ¥296

$42.13 ¥285

3.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.94 ¥67.3

$14.10 ¥95.5

-29.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.50 ¥64.3

$7.11 ¥48.14

33.61%

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

$460 ¥3,112

$450 ¥3,049

2.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K ¥149.4K

$20.7K ¥140.0K

6.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.47 ¥294

$49.52 ¥335

-12.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.64 ¥180

$30.31 ¥205

-12.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 ¥568

$75.8 ¥513

10.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 ¥546

$79.5 ¥538

1.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥2,265

$281 ¥1,903

18.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 ¥1,702

$138 ¥933

82.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$871 ¥5,893

$550 ¥3,726

58.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ¥3,498

$274 ¥1,855

88.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,594 ¥58.2K

$3,174 ¥21.5K

170.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,660 ¥31.5K

$1,799 ¥12.2K

159.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,118 ¥7,565

$1,043 ¥7,062

7.13%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shantou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $335 in Xiamen versus $281 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 $209 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: $789 in Xiamen, $682 in Shantou – roughly 16% apart. Xiamen costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,184 per month in Xiamen and $1,023 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 $789 in Xiamen and $682 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.