Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Beihai

For one person, living is cheaper in Beihai: $744 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Beihai
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Beihai Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Beihai

🇨🇳 China

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Beihai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Beihai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $744 in Beihai.

Austin, TX $2,663
Beihai $744

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,167 in Beihai.

Austin, TX $4,133
Beihai $1,167

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,590 in Beihai.

Austin, TX $5,603
Beihai $1,590

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 258% more expensive than in Beihai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Beihai is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.40 ¥22.75

510.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$19.56 ¥131

332.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.58 ¥37.31

120.79%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.43 ¥16.28

131.69%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.46 ¥3.09

708.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.30 ¥1.99

733.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.22 ¥8.14

559.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.29 ¥15.34

293.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.90 ¥12.69

-41.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.70 ¥11.36

120.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.10 ¥7.33

196.36%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.87 ¥12.53

122.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.95 ¥93.3

-7.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$2.92 ¥19.54

384.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.58 ¥70.8

53.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.10 ¥14.03

106.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.48 ¥9.91

-1.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.52 ¥10.19

196.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.27 ¥8.48

241.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.74 ¥4.92

248.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.97 ¥6.46

142.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.67 ¥4.47

165.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.50 ¥3.33

344.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.39 ¥22.70

191.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.05 ¥80.6

25.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.74 ¥4.95

294.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.66 ¥11.10

108.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.30 ¥2.02

396.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$17.17 ¥115

142.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.56 ¥10.42

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.31 ¥2.08

435.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$6.21 ¥41.53

468.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.39 ¥9.31

-31.65%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$18.2K ¥121.6K

98.24%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.2K ¥121.9K

48.47%

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

$229 $229

$61.5 ¥411

272.16%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$9.42 ¥63.0

530.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$12.09 ¥80.9

478.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$40.99 ¥274

39.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.01 ¥93.7

16.56%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.71 ¥38.20

150.09%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$458 ¥3,065

228.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$18.3K ¥122.6K

17.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$48.58 ¥325

8.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$38.03 ¥254

15.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$79.9 ¥534

6.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$79.0 ¥528

30.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$279 ¥1,863

584.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$178 ¥1,190

615.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$718 ¥4,804

410.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$332 ¥2,221

664.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,665 ¥24.5K

107.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,221 ¥14.9K

42.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.36

102.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Beihai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Beihai

$178 23.9% 86% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Beihai

$212 28.5% 47.7% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Beihai

$83 11.2% 76.8% $275

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Beihai

$87 11.7% 75.5% $267

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Beihai

$110 14.9% 13.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Beihai

$52 7% 38.9% $33

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Beihai

$22 2.9% 63.4% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $279 in Beihai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $20.00 in Beihai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $212 per month, with Beihai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Beihai

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

13:45 1:45 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,617,500

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Beihai 13,580 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Beihai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Austin, TX vs Beihai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Beihai wins on cost – living expenses run 258% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Beihai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,116 in Beihai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $279 in Beihai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $744 in Beihai – a 258% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Beihai runs roughly 143% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $744 in Beihai versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Beihai but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Beihai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Beihai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 258% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.