Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bortala

For one person, living is cheaper in Bortala: $758 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Bortala
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Bortala Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Bortala

🇨🇳 China

$758

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $758 in Bortala.

Austin, TX $2,607
Bortala $758

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $1,168 in Bortala.

Austin, TX $4,031
Bortala $1,168

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $1,577 in Bortala.

Austin, TX $5,454
Bortala $1,577

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 244% more expensive than in Bortala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 92% above, Bortala is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$2.99 ¥19.91

580.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$22.84 ¥152

270.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$4.86 ¥32.39

149.38%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$2.79 ¥18.57

102.51%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$0.48 ¥3.19

666.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.32 ¥2.11

637.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$1.11 ¥7.40

609.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$2.16 ¥14.37

308.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.87 ¥12.48

-39.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.59 ¥10.60

132.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$0.95 ¥6.31

248.42%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$1.60 ¥10.69

159.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.42 ¥89.5

-3.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$3.36 ¥22.41

312.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$11.29 ¥75.3

44.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$1.89 ¥12.57

148.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.34 ¥8.90

8.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$1.51 ¥10.04

238.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.26 ¥8.37

258.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.75 ¥5.00

310.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.98 ¥6.51

142.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.59 ¥3.96

205.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.59 ¥3.90

276.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$3.71 ¥24.75

168.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.52 ¥76.8

30.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$0.88 ¥5.89

230.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.55 ¥10.32

114.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.28 ¥1.87

335.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$15.99 ¥107

153.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.57 ¥10.49

77.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.32 ¥2.15

415.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$7.15 ¥47.68

394.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.17 ¥7.82

-18.80%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$19.4K ¥129.3K

76.25%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$15.2K ¥101.1K

76.42%

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

$223 $223

$57.1 ¥381

290.41%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$8.48 ¥56.6

589.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$11.13 ¥74.2

539.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$41.95 ¥280

26.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$14.98 ¥99.8

11.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$6.53 ¥43.50

115.31%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$453 ¥3,021

221.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$19.3K ¥128.8K

10.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$42.79 ¥285

22.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$30.92 ¥206

38.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$75.6 ¥504

14.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$68.3 ¥455

51.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$291 ¥1,937

626.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$214 ¥1,424

476.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$582 ¥3,881

563.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$343 ¥2,286

601.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,687 ¥24.6K

101.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,825 ¥12.2K

67.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$625 ¥4,167

728.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

3.36

102.98%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bortala: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Bortala

$214 28.2% 82.6% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Bortala

$210 27.7% 48.8% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Bortala

$77 10.1% 78.2% $276

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Bortala

$85 11.2% 75.6% $263

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Bortala

$98 12.9% 23.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Bortala

$55 7.3% 32.2% $26

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Bortala

$20 2.7% 64% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $291 in Bortala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 8.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $23 in Bortala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $210 per month, with Bortala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Bortala

🕒 Local time

08:49 8:49 AM

21:49 9:49 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

246,706

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Bortala 11,660 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bortala

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 Bortala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bortala wins on cost – living expenses run 71% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bortala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Austin, TX is about 8.3 times higher, 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $291 in Bortala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $758 in Bortala – a 244% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bortala runs roughly 61% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your 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 Bortala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.