Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Chenzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Chenzhou: $721 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Chenzhou
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Chenzhou Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Chenzhou

🇨🇳 China

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $721 in Chenzhou.

Austin, TX $2,607
Chenzhou $721

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $1,197 in Chenzhou.

Austin, TX $4,031
Chenzhou $1,197

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $1,674 in Chenzhou.

Austin, TX $5,454
Chenzhou $1,674

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 262% more expensive than in Chenzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 92% above, Chenzhou is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$3.03 ¥20.18

571.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$22.13 ¥148

282.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$4.86 ¥32.38

149.38%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$1.54 ¥10.26

266.88%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$0.51 ¥3.42

621.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.27 ¥1.81

774.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$1.29 ¥8.59

510.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$1.89 ¥12.61

366.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.97 ¥13.11

-42.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.38 ¥15.85

55.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$0.79 ¥5.24

318.99%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$1.72 ¥11.48

141.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.15 ¥87.6

-1.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$4.13 ¥27.51

235.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$11.57 ¥77.1

41.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$0.59 ¥3.93

694.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.18 ¥7.84

22.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$0.73 ¥4.88

600.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.19 ¥7.91

279.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.97 ¥6.50

217.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.54 ¥10.26

54.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.61 ¥4.05

195.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.49 ¥3.24

353.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$3.02 ¥20.11

230.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.71 ¥84.7

18.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.04 ¥6.92

179.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.57 ¥10.47

112.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.31 ¥2.05

293.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$15.40 ¥103

163.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.52 ¥10.11

82.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.29 ¥1.93

468.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$4.60 ¥30.64

669.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.29 ¥8.60

-26.36%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$19.3K ¥128.6K

77.32%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$17.4K ¥115.8K

54.02%

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

$223 $223

$56.3 ¥375

295.95%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$8.94 ¥59.6

554.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$11.27 ¥75.1

531.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$42.59 ¥284

24.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$14.67 ¥97.8

14.18%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$6.48 ¥43.20

116.98%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$329 ¥2,192

343.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$16.9K ¥112.5K

26.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$84.2 ¥562

-37.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$35.01 ¥233

22.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$89.1 ¥594

-2.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$58.9 ¥392

76.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$310 ¥2,064

582.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$163 ¥1,087

654.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$584 ¥3,892

561.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$414 ¥2,757

481.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,531 ¥23.5K

110.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,917 ¥12.8K

59.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

3.46

97.11%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chenzhou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Chenzhou

$163 22.6% 86.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Chenzhou

$215 29.8% 47.5% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Chenzhou

$77 10.6% 78.3% $276

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Chenzhou

$71 9.8% 79.7% $278

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Chenzhou

$120 16.7% 6.4% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Chenzhou

$56 7.7% 31.6% $26

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Chenzhou

$20 2.7% 65.3% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $310 in Chenzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $22 in Chenzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $215 per month, with Chenzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Chenzhou

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

19:52 7:52 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

4,667,134

💱 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 Chenzhou 12,980 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Chenzhou

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 Chenzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chenzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chenzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $1,081 in Chenzhou 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $310 in Chenzhou. 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 $721 in Chenzhou – a 262% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chenzhou runs roughly 62% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $721 in Chenzhou versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Chenzhou but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Chenzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chenzhou is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Chenzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.