Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cixi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cixi: $725 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 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 Cixi
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Cixi Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Cixi

🇨🇳 China

$725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $725 in Cixi.

Austin, TX $2,704
Cixi $725

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,145 in Cixi.

Austin, TX $4,133
Cixi $1,145

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,564 in Cixi.

Austin, TX $5,562
Cixi $1,564

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 273% more expensive than in Cixi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Cixi is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$2.86 ¥19.14

606.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$21.88 ¥146

288.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$4.73 ¥31.61

161.10%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.96 ¥19.77

84.80%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.47 ¥3.14

712.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.29 ¥1.95

762.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$0.94 ¥6.28

757.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.04 ¥13.64

340.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.85 ¥12.40

-38.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.60 ¥10.68

136.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.95 ¥6.37

242.11%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.54 ¥10.28

168.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$12.74 ¥85.1

2.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$3.16 ¥21.11

352.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$10.37 ¥69.3

53.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.86 ¥12.42

135.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.25 ¥8.37

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.48 ¥9.89

206.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.11 ¥7.41

277.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.74 ¥4.93

255.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.90 ¥6.01

162.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.56 ¥3.71

214.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.54 ¥3.63

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.15 ¥21.04

211.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$10.77 ¥72.0

36.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.78 ¥5.22

256.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.65 ¥11.00

110.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.29 ¥1.95

413.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$16.62 ¥111

143.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.42 ¥9.48

88.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.36 ¥2.39

338.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$6.71 ¥44.85

425.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.13 ¥7.55

-12.39%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$19.7K ¥132.0K

81.33%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$17.1K ¥114.4K

58.69%

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

$219 $219

$44.63 ¥298

391.31%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$9.55 ¥63.8

507.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$11.71 ¥78.3

483.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$42.36 ¥283

36.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$14.18 ¥94.7

4.51%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$6.06 ¥40.49

133.17%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$333 ¥2,227

352.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$17.1K ¥114.4K

25.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$43.43 ¥290

18.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$29.82 ¥199

47.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$72.8 ¥486

16.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$72.7 ¥486

44.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$283 ¥1,894

581.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$192 ¥1,281

563.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$588 ¥3,929

524.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$366 ¥2,448

589.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,000 ¥20.0K

153.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,998 ¥13.4K

60.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.89

74.55%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cixi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Cixi

$192 26.8% 84.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Cixi

$199 27.9% 50.5% $204

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Cixi

$84 11.8% 75.7% $264

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Cixi

$66 9.2% 80.9% $280

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Cixi

$98 13.8% 23.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Cixi

$54 7.6% 36.8% $32

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Cixi

$21 2.9% 63.2% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $283 in Cixi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $22.00 in Cixi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $199 per month, with Cixi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Cixi

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

13:22 1:22 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,829,488

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Cixi 12,130 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Cixi

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 Cixi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cixi wins on cost – living expenses run 273% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cixi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,055 in Austin, TX and $1,088 in Cixi 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $283 in Cixi. 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 $725 in Cixi – a 273% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cixi runs roughly 144% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $725 in Cixi versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cixi but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cixi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cixi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $725 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cixi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Cixi 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 Cixi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 273% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.