Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Benxi

For one person, living is cheaper in Benxi: $705 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Benxi
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Benxi Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Benxi

🇨🇳 China

$705

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Benxi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $705 in Benxi.

Austin, TX $2,698
Benxi $705

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,021 in Benxi.

Austin, TX $4,160
Benxi $1,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,336 in Benxi.

Austin, TX $5,622
Benxi $1,336

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 282% more expensive than in Benxi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Benxi is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$3.01 ¥20.12

585.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$22.14 ¥148

281.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$5.33 ¥35.60

126.45%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$2.48 ¥16.57

120.97%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.47 ¥3.16

708.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.29 ¥1.92

751.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$0.72 ¥4.78

1018.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$1.78 ¥11.89

398.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.86 ¥12.41

-40.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.17 ¥7.82

217.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$0.85 ¥5.71

296.47%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$1.57 ¥10.53

175.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.57 ¥64.0

37.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$2.84 ¥18.98

398.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$9.21 ¥61.6

77.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.69 ¥11.28

169.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.44 ¥9.60

1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.63 ¥10.89

188.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.31 ¥8.77

216.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.57 ¥3.84

352.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.83 ¥12.24

28.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.58 ¥3.88

205.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.64 ¥4.28

234.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$3.07 ¥20.51

228.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$8.16 ¥54.5

86.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.58 ¥3.87

386.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.25 ¥8.36

175.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.31 ¥2.08

396.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$11.84 ¥79.1

246.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.86 ¥5.77

225.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.29 ¥1.91

451.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$3.00 ¥20.07

1044.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.13 ¥7.55

-16.81%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$19.3K ¥129.0K

76.12%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$17.8K ¥119.2K

50.12%

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

$223 $223

$55.1 ¥369

303.79%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$6.56 ¥43.87

797.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$10.67 ¥71.3

561.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$67.2 ¥449

-14.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$8.25 ¥55.1

100.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$5.83 ¥38.98

144.60%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$446 ¥2,980

239.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$9,125 ¥61.0K

128.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$30.26 ¥202

69.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$81.4 ¥544

-45.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$60.0 ¥401

45.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$53.1 ¥355

96.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$134 ¥896

1348.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$180 ¥1,204

631.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$261 ¥1,744

1304.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$150 ¥1,005

1607.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,552 ¥23.7K

107.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,908 ¥12.8K

64.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$444 ¥2,968

1091.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

69.75%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Benxi: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Benxi

$180 25.5% 86.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Benxi

$178 25.2% 56.2% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Benxi

$72 10.3% 79.4% $280

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Benxi

$80 11.3% 77.2% $270

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Benxi

$101 14.3% 21.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Benxi

$79 11.2% 8.6% $7.4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Benxi

$15 2.2% 73.5% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $134 in Benxi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1091% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $22.00 in Benxi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $178 per month, with Benxi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Benxi

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

18:21 6:21 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

809,655

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Benxi 10,990 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Benxi

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 Benxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benxi wins on cost – living expenses run 282% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Benxi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1091% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $134 in Benxi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $705 in Benxi – a 282% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Benxi runs roughly 246% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $705 in Benxi versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Benxi but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Benxi 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 Benxi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 282% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.