Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Chang-hua

For one person, living is cheaper in Chang-hua: $864 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Chang-hua
Learn more

Chang-hua Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Chang-hua

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Chang-hua

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 Chang-hua actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $864 in Chang-hua.

Austin, TX $2,663
Chang-hua $864

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,343 in Chang-hua.

Austin, TX $4,133
Chang-hua $1,343

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,822 in Chang-hua.

Austin, TX $5,603
Chang-hua $1,822

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 208% more expensive than in Chang-hua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Chang-hua is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.83 NT$124

442.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$32.76 NT$1,062

158.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.53 NT$179

122.78%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.63 NT$52.7

245.40%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.96 NT$30.99

287.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.56 NT$18.01

346.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.36 NT$44.21

491.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.17 NT$70.3

315.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.38 NT$77.1

-52.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.07 NT$67.2

81.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.94 NT$95.5

10.88%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.76 NT$89.5

51.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$16.19 NT$525

-20.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.51 NT$308

48.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$21.23 NT$688

-23.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.82 NT$156

-10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.38 NT$110

-56.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.93 NT$95.1

53.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.17 NT$103

36.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.77 NT$89.8

-6.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.11 NT$68.4

11.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.69 NT$54.9

5.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.77 NT$24.97

188.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.96 NT$128

149.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.43 NT$306

59.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.38 NT$44.70

111.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.29 NT$74.4

51.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.55 NT$50.4

-3.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$34.80 NT$1,129

19.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.65 NT$85.9

3.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.76 NT$24.71

118.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$9.29 NT$301

279.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.06 NT$34.39

-10.38%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$33.1K NT$1.1M

8.78%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.3K NT$787.5K

11.49%

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

$229 $229

$31.62 NT$1,025

624.19%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$16.99 NT$551

249.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$18.71 NT$607

273.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$31.75 NT$1,029

80.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$9.38 NT$304

52.24%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$636 NT$20.6K

136.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$7,946 NT$257.7K

170.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$49.35 NT$1,600

7.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$15.47 NT$502

183.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$78.1 NT$2,534

8.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$49.57 NT$1,607

107.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$252 NT$8,160

657.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$170 NT$5,528

647.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$509 NT$16.5K

620.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$169 NT$5,480

1402.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,959 NT$96.0K

157.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,631 NT$52.9K

93.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,011 NT$65.2K

154.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.2

208.64%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chang-hua: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Chang-hua

$170 19.7% 86.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Chang-hua

$358 41.4% 11.5% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Chang-hua

$67 7.8% 81.2% $291

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Chang-hua

$84 9.7% 76.3% $270

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Chang-hua

$87 10% 32.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Chang-hua

$51 5.8% 41.1% $35

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Chang-hua

$47 5.5% 19.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $252 in Chang-hua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 155% 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 $33.00 in Chang-hua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $358 per month, with Chang-hua cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇹🇼 Chang-hua

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

09:32 9:32 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

226,564

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

TWD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Chang-hua 12,720 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Chang-hua

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 Chang-hua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chang-hua wins on cost – living expenses run 208% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chang-hua the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 155% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $252 in Chang-hua. 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 $864 in Chang-hua – a 208% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chang-hua runs roughly 20% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $864 in Chang-hua versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chang-hua but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Chang-hua 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Chang-hua are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chang-hua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 208% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.