Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Handan

For one person, living is cheaper in Handan: $638 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Handan
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Handan Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Handan

🇨🇳 China

$638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $638 in Handan.

Austin, TX $2,663
Handan $638

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,053 in Handan.

Austin, TX $4,133
Handan $1,053

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,468 in Handan.

Austin, TX $5,603
Handan $1,468

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 317% more expensive than in Handan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Handan is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$1.92 ¥12.81

981.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$18.14 ¥121

366.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.56 ¥30.51

170.18%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.56 ¥17.14

119.92%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.39 ¥2.63

853.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.21 ¥1.40

1090.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$0.74 ¥4.94

987.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.48 ¥9.89

508.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.45 ¥9.67

-22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.78 ¥5.23

380.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.73 ¥4.89

346.58%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$0.97 ¥6.49

329.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.87 ¥79.3

8.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$2.92 ¥19.50

384.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.03 ¥73.8

47.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.44 ¥9.64

200.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.58 ¥3.90

151.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.36 ¥9.08

231.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.09 ¥7.32

298.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.29 ¥1.91

789.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.31 ¥2.08

658.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.53 ¥3.53

235.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.36 ¥2.39

516.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.71 ¥24.81

166.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.95 ¥66.5

51.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.68 ¥4.54

329.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.36 ¥9.12

154.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.31 ¥2.08

380.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$17.97 ¥120

132.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.86 ¥5.75

217.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.25 ¥1.67

564.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.50 ¥30.08

684.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.32 ¥8.80

-28.03%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$19.2K ¥128.7K

87.27%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$15.2K ¥101.7K

78.02%

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

$229 $229

$71.1 ¥475

222.07%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$4.35 ¥29.10

1265.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$4.97 ¥33.26

1306.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$41.70 ¥279

37.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.39 ¥89.6

21.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.37 ¥29.24

226.77%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$215 ¥1,439

599.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$19.6K ¥131.3K

9.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$29.42 ¥197

79.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$43.23 ¥289

1.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$44.86 ¥300

88.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$69.3 ¥463

48.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$337 ¥2,254

465.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$165 ¥1,105

670.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$625 ¥4,181

485.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$427 ¥2,857

494.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,556 ¥23.8K

114.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,875 ¥12.5K

68.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$656 ¥4,389

680.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

126.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Handan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Handan

$165 25.9% 87% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Handan

$168 26.3% 58.5% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Handan

$80 12.6% 77.6% $278

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Handan

$69 10.8% 80.5% $285

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Handan

$84 13.2% 34.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Handan

$50 7.9% 41.2% $35

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Handan

$21 3.3% 63.7% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $337 in Handan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 680% 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 $18.00 in Handan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $168 per month, with Handan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Handan

🕒 Local time

11:44 11:44 AM

00:44 12:44 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

9,413,990

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Handan 11,850 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Handan

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 Handan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Handan wins on cost – living expenses run 317% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Handan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 680% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $337 in Handan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $638 in Handan – a 317% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Handan runs roughly 132% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $638 in Handan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Handan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Handan 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 Handan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 317% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.