Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Changde

For one person, living is cheaper in Changde: $650 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Changde
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Changde Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Changde

🇨🇳 China

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $650 in Changde.

Austin, TX $2,663
Changde $650

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,126 in Changde.

Austin, TX $4,133
Changde $1,126

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,602 in Changde.

Austin, TX $5,603
Changde $1,602

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 310% more expensive than in Changde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Changde is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.20 ¥14.70

844.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$17.66 ¥118

378.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.04 ¥33.67

144.44%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.37 ¥15.81

137.55%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.44 ¥2.92

745.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.25 ¥1.66

900.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.17 ¥7.85

588.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.98 ¥13.26

355.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.48 ¥9.89

-24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.29 ¥15.30

63.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.87 ¥5.80

274.71%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.73 ¥11.58

141.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.86 ¥86.0

0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.06 ¥27.16

248.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.46 ¥76.6

41.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.62 ¥10.82

167.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.22 ¥8.18

19.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.10 ¥7.36

310.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.87 ¥5.79

398.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.63 ¥4.19

309.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.74 ¥4.94

217.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.39 ¥2.60

356.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.52 ¥3.48

326.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.03 ¥20.28

226.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.74 ¥85.2

18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.03 ¥6.91

183.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$0.73 ¥4.88

373.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.29 ¥1.94

413.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$17.85 ¥119

133.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.18 ¥7.87

131.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.31 ¥2.08

435.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.36 ¥29.18

709.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.30 ¥8.72

-26.92%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$19.1K ¥127.5K

89.09%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$17.9K ¥120.0K

50.86%

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

$229 $229

$55.6 ¥372

312.07%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$9.17 ¥61.3

547.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$11.23 ¥75.1

522.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$42.44 ¥284

34.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.76 ¥98.7

10.64%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.81 ¥38.86

145.78%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$328 ¥2,191

359.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.7K ¥111.5K

28.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$84.9 ¥568

-37.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$34.85 ¥233

25.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$89.0 ¥595

-4.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$59.6 ¥398

72.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$132 ¥886

1339.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$95.4 ¥638

1236.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$617 ¥4,127

493.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$373 ¥2,492

580.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,949 ¥26.4K

92.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,977 ¥13.2K

59.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$745 ¥4,980

587.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.46

96.24%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Changde: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Changde

$95 14.7% 92.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Changde

$209 32.1% 48.4% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Changde

$76 11.7% 78.8% $282

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Changde

$74 11.3% 79.2% $280

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Changde

$121 18.6% 5.6% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Changde

$54 8.3% 37% $32

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Changde

$22 3.3% 63% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $132 in Changde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 587% 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 $18.00 in Changde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $209 per month, with Changde cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Changde

🕒 Local time

02:34 2:34 AM

15:34 3:34 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,717,200

💱 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 Changde 12,720 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Changde

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 Changde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changde wins on cost – living expenses run 310% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Changde the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 587% 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 $132 in Changde. 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 $650 in Changde – a 310% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Changde runs roughly 134% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $650 in Changde versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Changde but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Changde 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 Changde gentler on the wallet – expenses run 310% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.