Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Chongqing

For one person, living is cheaper in Chongqing: $714 a month against $2,704 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Chongqing
Learn more

Chongqing Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Chongqing

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $714 in Chongqing.

Austin, TX $2,704
Chongqing $714

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,168 in Chongqing.

Austin, TX $4,133
Chongqing $1,168

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,622 in Chongqing.

Austin, TX $5,562
Chongqing $1,622

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 279% more expensive than in Chongqing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Chongqing is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$2.64 ¥17.67

665.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$22.05 ¥147

285.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$4.67 ¥31.20

164.45%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.06 ¥13.79

165.53%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.43 ¥2.90

788.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.31 ¥2.09

706.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.20 ¥8.02

571.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$1.75 ¥11.71

413.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.92 ¥12.85

-41.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.58 ¥10.56

139.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.64 ¥4.25

407.81%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.16 ¥14.42

91.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$17.55 ¥117

-25.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$3.37 ¥22.55

324.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$10.08 ¥67.4

58.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.56 ¥10.43

180.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.35 ¥9.01

7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.25 ¥8.35

263.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.25 ¥8.32

235.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.61 ¥4.07

331.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.94 ¥6.31

151.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.87 ¥5.83

102.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.62 ¥4.13

248.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.07 ¥20.51

219.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.95 ¥59.8

64.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.76 ¥5.10

265.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.64 ¥10.93

112.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.39 ¥2.59

282.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$22.16 ¥148

82.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.53 ¥10.24

74.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.29 ¥1.91

444.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$2.96 ¥19.81

1092.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.26 ¥8.44

-21.43%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$19.5K ¥130.3K

83.64%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$16.8K ¥112.4K

61.57%

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

$219 $219

$44.19 ¥295

396.20%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$6.95 ¥46.43

734.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$7.17 ¥47.91

853.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$50.7 ¥339

14.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$10.64 ¥71.1

39.29%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$5.94 ¥39.71

137.88%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$290 ¥1,939

420.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$25.6K ¥171.0K

-16.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$39.88 ¥267

29.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$29.80 ¥199

47.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$64.8 ¥433

31.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$62.7 ¥419

67.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$418 ¥2,790

362.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$200 ¥1,338

535.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$880 ¥5,879

317.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$414 ¥2,767

509.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,681 ¥17.9K

184.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,705 ¥11.4K

87.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,111 ¥7,423

359.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.34

103.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Chongqing: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Chongqing

$200 27.7% 84.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Chongqing

$213 29.5% 47.2% $190

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Chongqing

$72 10% 79.2% $276

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Chongqing

$58 8.1% 83.1% $287

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Chongqing

$89 12.3% 31.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Chongqing

$63 8.7% 27.4% $24

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Chongqing

$27 3.7% 53.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $418 in Chongqing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 360% 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 Chongqing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $213 per month, with Chongqing cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Chongqing

🕒 Local time

00:25 12:25 AM

13:25 1:25 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,564,449

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

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Austin, TX Chongqing 12,880 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Chongqing

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 Chongqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chongqing wins on cost – living expenses run 279% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chongqing the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 360% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $418 in Chongqing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $714 in Chongqing – a 279% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chongqing runs roughly 83% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $714 in Chongqing versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chongqing but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Chongqing 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 Chongqing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 279% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.