Cost of Living in Guangzhou: Real Prices From 34 Videos

Guangzhou is the cheapest of China's first-tier cities. These are the numbers from the videos. It draws on 14 videos and 79 individual figures, covering Guangzhou.

At a glance

monthly rent for 20 square meter room	700 RMB a month	Guangzhou
3-bedroom house rental	¥3,200/month	Guangzhou
coffee with coupon	9 cents of a yuan	Guangzhou
pineapple soda	$0.70 usd	Guangzhou

Food & drink

Item	Amount	Place	Source video
coffee with coupon	9 cents of a yuan	Guangzhou	Low-Income Life in Guangzhou: A Chinese Couple's Evening…
pineapple soda	$0.70 usd	Guangzhou	Solo BBQ in Guangzhou: A $20 Personal Grill Experience
Sichuan-style red oil skewer	between 1 and 3 RMB	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Street Food After Dark: Cheap Local Eats
jianbing	about 1 dollar	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Street Food After Dark: Cheap Local Eats
sushi per piece	starting at just 1 RMB per piece	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Street Food After Dark: Cheap Local Eats
Guo Bao Rou small portion	about $2	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Street Food After Dark: Cheap Local Eats
shaved ice	about $2	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Street Food After Dark: Cheap Local Eats
Fuding meat slices	about 2 dollars	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Street Food After Dark: Cheap Local Eats
Guangxi-style roast duck rice noodles	about 2 dollars a bowl	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Street Food After Dark: Cheap Local Eats
beef offal and malatang serving	about 2 dollars	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Street Food After Dark: Cheap Local Eats
proper meal at food street	less than two dollars	Guangzhou	Inside a Guangzhou Urban Village: Small Rental, No Jobs,…
tomatoes per 500 grams	2.5RMB	Guangzhou	Inside a Guangzhou Urban Village: Small Rental, No Jobs,…
Guo Bao Rou large portion	about $3	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Street Food After Dark: Cheap Local Eats
fried food per pound	about 3 dollars per pound	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Street Food After Dark: Cheap Local Eats
fried snails	4 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: $1 Street Food Paradise…
snack	4 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: Zhicun's 160 Stalls
one kilogram of tomatoes	5 RMB	Guangzhou	Inside a Guangzhou Urban Village: Small Rental, No Jobs,…
bread from unmanned bakery	5 yuan	Guangzhou	Low-Income Life in Guangzhou: A Chinese Couple's Evening…
stuffed flatbread	8 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: $1 Street Food Paradise…
stuffed flatbread	8 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: Zhicun's 160 Stalls
total spent on vegetables	8.2 rmb	Guangzhou	Inside a Guangzhou Urban Village: Small Rental, No Jobs,…
roujiamo	9.9 RMB	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Street Food After Dark: Cheap Local Eats
wok-fried rice noodles	12 RMB	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Street Food After Dark: Cheap Local Eats
seafood egg snack	15 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: $1 Street Food Paradise…
medium mixed order	15 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: Zhicun's 160 Stalls
malatang	15 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: $1 Street Food Paradise…
seafood snack	15 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: Zhicun's 160 Stalls
bowl of beef noodles	15 RMB	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Wholesale Clothing Markets: Affordable Fashion…
baby potatoes	16 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: $1 Street Food Paradise…
baby potatoes	16 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: Zhicun's 160 Stalls
pork kidney noodles	18 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: $1 Street Food Paradise…
beef brisket with radish	¥18	Guangzhou	A Weekend in Old Guangzhou and Foshan: Real Life and Costs
piece of roast duck	18 yuan	Guangzhou	Low-Income Life in Guangzhou: A Chinese Couple's Evening…
pork kidney noodles	18 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: Zhicun's 160 Stalls
bbq meal set	$20usd	Guangzhou	Solo BBQ in Guangzhou: A $20 Personal Grill Experience
spicy sour rice noodle with squid balls and veggies	20 RMB	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Wholesale Clothing Markets: Affordable Fashion…
chicken wings	24 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: $1 Street Food Paradise…
chicken wings	24 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: Zhicun's 160 Stalls
pork rib rice set	25 RMB	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Wholesale Clothing Markets: Affordable Fashion…
steak	29.9 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: $1 Street Food Paradise…

Rent & housing

Item	Amount	Place	Source video
monthly rent for 20 square meter room	700 RMB a month	Guangzhou	Inside a Guangzhou Urban Village: Small Rental, No Jobs,…
3-bedroom house rental	¥3,200/month	Guangzhou	A Weekend in Old Guangzhou and Foshan: Real Life and Costs

Transport

Item	Amount	Place	Source video
delivery order for 22 km	$7	Guangzhou	A Day in the Life of a Delivery Rider in Guangzhou, China
50km taxi ride	¥55	Guangzhou	A Weekend in Old Guangzhou and Foshan: Real Life and Costs
second hand e-bike	about 60 US dollar	Guangzhou	Guangzhou's Mega Pet and Fish Market: Inside the Wholesal…

Everyday goods

Item	Amount	Place	Source video
small items online	one or two dollars	Guangzhou	Inside a Guangzhou Urban Village: Small Rental, No Jobs,…
six guppies	about $1.5 (¥10)	Guangzhou	Guangzhou's Mega Pet and Fish Market: Inside the Wholesal…
Coke at snack shop	2 point for you	Guangzhou	A Day in the Life of a Delivery Rider in Guangzhou, China
bottle of drink at snack shop	2.3 yuan	Guangzhou	A Day in the Life of a Delivery Rider in Guangzhou, China
bottle of drink	3 yuan	Guangzhou	A Day in the Life of a Delivery Rider in Guangzhou, China
Coke	3.5 yuan	Guangzhou	A Day in the Life of a Delivery Rider in Guangzhou, China
nike city runner	$5.99	Guangzhou	Shopping at Guangzhou's Largest Outlet Mall: Sneakers and…
nike spiridons	$5.99	Guangzhou	Shopping at Guangzhou's Largest Outlet Mall: Sneakers and…
adidas sneakers	$6.99	Guangzhou	Shopping at Guangzhou's Largest Outlet Mall: Sneakers and…
item at market	7.9 yuan	Guangzhou	Rainy Season in Guangzhou: A Couple's Slow Daily Life
street haircut	10 yuan	Guangzhou	Low-Income Life in Guangzhou: A Chinese Couple's Evening…
sweatshirt	under $15	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Wholesale Clothing Markets: Affordable Fashion…
three pieces of underwear	25 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Wholesale Clothing Markets: Affordable Fashion…
jacket	under $30	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Wholesale Clothing Markets: Affordable Fashion…
glass tank for freshwater fish	about 40 US dollar	Guangzhou	Guangzhou's Mega Pet and Fish Market: Inside the Wholesal…
can of baby formula	$42	Guangzhou	A Day in the Life of a Delivery Rider in Guangzhou, China
washing machine	68RMB	Guangzhou	Inside a Guangzhou Urban Village: Small Rental, No Jobs,…
women's clothing piece	80 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Wholesale Clothing Markets: Affordable Fashion…
little rabbit	90 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou's Mega Pet and Fish Market: Inside the Wholesal…
skirt two for	100 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Wholesale Clothing Markets: Affordable Fashion…
black rabbit	100 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou's Mega Pet and Fish Market: Inside the Wholesal…
secondhand fridge	120 RMB	Guangzhou	Inside a Guangzhou Urban Village: Small Rental, No Jobs,…
women's clothing two pieces	150 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Wholesale Clothing Markets: Affordable Fashion…
hoodie	150 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Wholesale Clothing Markets: Affordable Fashion…
12 pairs of long socks	180 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Wholesale Clothing Markets: Affordable Fashion…
white rabbit	200 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou's Mega Pet and Fish Market: Inside the Wholesal…
bag	220 yuan	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Wholesale Clothing Markets: Affordable Fashion…
nike sneakers	849	Guangzhou	Shopping at Guangzhou's Largest Outlet Mall: Sneakers and…
jordan jacket	2,580	Guangzhou	Shopping at Guangzhou's Largest Outlet Mall: Sneakers and…
jacket	4,000 R&B	Guangzhou	Shopping at Guangzhou's Largest Outlet Mall: Sneakers and…

Utilities

Item	Amount	Place	Source video
property management fee	¥350	Guangzhou	A Weekend in Old Guangzhou and Foshan: Real Life and Costs

Healthcare

Item	Amount	Place	Source video
ambulance ride	about 17 US dollars and 40 cents	Guangzhou	First Dentist Visit in China at Age 40: Cost and Process

Other costs

Item	Amount	Place	Source video
malatang discount	20 percent off	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Night Market Food Tour: Zhicun's 160 Stalls
battery swap service per month	$37 per month	Guangzhou	A Day in the Life of a Delivery Rider in Guangzhou, China
Canton Tower height	600-meter	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Streets: Beijing Road, Dafo Temple, Shamian Isl…
cathedral construction start year	1863	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Streets: Beijing Road, Dafo Temple, Shamian Isl…
cathedral completion year	1888	Guangzhou	Guangzhou Streets: Beijing Road, Dafo Temple, Shamian Isl…

What stands out

The cheapest food recorded is coffee with coupon (9 cents of a yuan), and the most expensive is grilled cold noodles at 38 yuan.

Data sources

Every figure on this page was stated in one of the following videos. Follow a link to hear it in context.