Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Dalian

For one person, living is cheaper in Dalian: $895 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Dalian
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Dalian Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Dalian

🇨🇳 China

$895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $895 in Dalian.

Austin, TX $2,704
Dalian $895

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,433 in Dalian.

Austin, TX $4,133
Dalian $1,433

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,970 in Dalian.

Austin, TX $5,562
Dalian $1,970

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 202% more expensive than in Dalian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Dalian is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$3.63 ¥24.25

457.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$24.88 ¥166

241.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$5.12 ¥34.24

141.21%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.30 ¥22.04

65.76%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.49 ¥3.30

679.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.25 ¥1.67

900.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$0.92 ¥6.17

776.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$1.53 ¥10.23

487.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.59 ¥10.63

-28.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.42 ¥9.52

166.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.02 ¥6.80

218.63%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.59 ¥10.61

160.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$20.36 ¥136

-35.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$3.46 ¥23.10

313.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$13.05 ¥87.2

22.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.31 ¥8.74

234.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.13 ¥7.52

28.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.93 ¥12.90

135.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.89 ¥5.96

370.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.82 ¥5.50

220.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.71 ¥4.77

232.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.35 ¥9.00

30.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.62 ¥4.16

248.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.75 ¥25.08

161.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$14.55 ¥97.2

1.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.10 ¥7.32

152.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.93 ¥12.92

80.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.31 ¥2.10

380.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$30.05 ¥201

34.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.53 ¥10.23

74.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.43 ¥2.87

267.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$3.98 ¥26.60

786.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.26 ¥8.43

-21.43%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$19.6K ¥130.8K

82.97%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$17.5K ¥117.0K

55.25%

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

$219 $219

$63.8 ¥426

243.95%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$9.13 ¥61.0

535.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$13.34 ¥89.1

412.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$40.35 ¥270

43.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$36.04 ¥241

-58.88%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$6.85 ¥45.75

106.28%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$393 ¥2,627

283.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$20.6K ¥137.9K

4.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$75.4 ¥504

-31.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$54.9 ¥367

-19.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$114 ¥762

-25.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$117 ¥784

-10.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$402 ¥2,684

381.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$244 ¥1,628

422.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$702 ¥4,688

423.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$445 ¥2,971

467.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,684 ¥17.9K

183.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,585 ¥10.6K

101.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,090 ¥7,287

368.12%

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 Dalian: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Dalian

$244 26.6% 80.8% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Dalian

$239 26.1% 40.7% $164

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Dalian

$95 10.3% 72.8% $253

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Dalian

$86 9.4% 75.1% $259

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Dalian

$163 17.8% 26.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Dalian

$54 5.9% 37.3% $32

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Dalian

$35 3.8% 38.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $402 in Dalian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 368% 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 $25.00 in Dalian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $239 per month, with Dalian cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Dalian

🕒 Local time

01:18 1:18 AM

14:18 2:18 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

7,450,785

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Dalian 11,310 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Dalian

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 Dalian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dalian wins on cost – living expenses run 202% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dalian the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 368% 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 $402 in Dalian. 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 $895 in Dalian – a 202% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dalian runs roughly 35% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $895 in Dalian versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dalian but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Dalian 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 Dalian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 202% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.