Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Gongzhuling

For one person, living is cheaper in Gongzhuling: $592 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Gongzhuling
Learn more

Gongzhuling Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Gongzhuling

🇨🇳 China

$592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $592 in Gongzhuling.

Austin, TX $2,698
Gongzhuling $592

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $945 in Gongzhuling.

Austin, TX $4,160
Gongzhuling $945

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,297 in Gongzhuling.

Austin, TX $5,622
Gongzhuling $1,297

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 355% more expensive than in Gongzhuling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Gongzhuling is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$2.11 ¥14.13

877.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$16.27 ¥109

419.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$4.57 ¥30.56

164.11%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$1.99 ¥13.32

175.38%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.47 ¥3.12

708.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.21 ¥1.40

1076.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$0.73 ¥4.88

1002.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$1.67 ¥11.15

431.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.38 ¥9.22

-19.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.18 ¥14.57

70.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.06 ¥7.10

217.92%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$1.02 ¥6.84

323.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$7.30 ¥48.79

79.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$3.68 ¥24.63

284.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$9.21 ¥61.6

77.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$0.58 ¥3.89

684.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.64 ¥4.28

128.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$0.54 ¥3.62

772.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$0.46 ¥3.10

802.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.46 ¥3.09

460.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.51 ¥3.40

360.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.47 ¥3.12

276.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.62 ¥4.12

245.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$3.60 ¥24.08

180.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$10.33 ¥69.1

47.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.65 ¥4.37

333.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.13 ¥7.59

204.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.31 ¥2.09

396.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$17.60 ¥118

132.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.14 ¥7.60

145.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.36 ¥2.38

344.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$2.71 ¥18.09

1167.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.30 ¥8.70

-27.69%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$19.7K ¥131.8K

72.33%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$16.2K ¥108.2K

65.32%

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

$223 $223

$28.24 ¥189

688.42%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$6.14 ¥41.02

859.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$10.25 ¥68.5

588.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.33 ¥276

39.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$14.83 ¥99.2

11.46%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$5.26 ¥35.17

171.10%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$397 ¥2,655

280.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$11.6K ¥77.8K

79.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$16.46 ¥110

211.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$22.60 ¥151

95.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$59.1 ¥395

47.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$44.33 ¥296

135.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$301 ¥2,012

544.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$185 ¥1,237

611.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$636 ¥4,251

476.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$371 ¥2,481

591.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,483 ¥23.3K

111.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,937 ¥12.9K

61.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$336 ¥2,246

1473.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.5

94.00%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Gongzhuling: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Gongzhuling

$185 31.2% 85.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Gongzhuling

$161 27.2% 60.3% $245

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Gongzhuling

$45 7.5% 87.3% $308

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Gongzhuling

$64 10.8% 81.7% $286

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Gongzhuling

$64 10.8% 50.3% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Gongzhuling

$52 8.8% 39.9% $34

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Gongzhuling

$22 3.7% 62.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $301 in Gongzhuling. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1474% 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 $16.00 in Gongzhuling for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $161 per month, with Gongzhuling cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Gongzhuling

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

19:34 7:34 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

862,313

💱 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 →

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Austin, TX Gongzhuling 10,720 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Gongzhuling

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 Gongzhuling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gongzhuling wins on cost – living expenses run 355% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gongzhuling the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1474% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $301 in Gongzhuling. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $592 in Gongzhuling – a 355% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gongzhuling runs roughly 133% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $592 in Gongzhuling versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gongzhuling but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Gongzhuling 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 Gongzhuling gentler on the wallet – expenses run 355% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.