Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Hefei

For one person, living is cheaper in Hefei: $764 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Hefei
Learn more

Hefei Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Hefei

🇨🇳 China

$764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $764 in Hefei.

Austin, TX $2,663
Hefei $764

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,215 in Hefei.

Austin, TX $4,133
Hefei $1,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,666 in Hefei.

Austin, TX $5,603
Hefei $1,666

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 249% more expensive than in Hefei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Hefei is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.60 ¥17.37

698.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$22.83 ¥153

270.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.53 ¥30.27

171.96%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.67 ¥17.83

110.86%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.49 ¥3.27

659.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.27 ¥1.78

825.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.03 ¥6.88

681.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.98 ¥13.27

355.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.58 ¥10.59

-29.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.97 ¥13.14

90.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.79 ¥5.30

312.66%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.83 ¥12.22

127.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.84 ¥92.5

-6.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.76 ¥31.85

197.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.55 ¥77.2

40.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.31 ¥15.44

87.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.68 ¥11.23

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.64 ¥10.95

175.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.54 ¥10.27

181.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.88 ¥5.90

193.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.99 ¥6.60

137.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.84 ¥5.59

111.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.66 ¥4.44

236.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.06 ¥20.47

222.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.08 ¥80.8

24.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.88 ¥5.88

231.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.90 ¥12.73

82.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.31 ¥2.10

380.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$44.14 ¥295

-5.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.17 ¥7.79

133.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.33 ¥2.18

403.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$3.54 ¥23.65

897.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.30 ¥8.69

-26.92%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

89.49%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$16.9K ¥112.8K

60.48%

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

$229 $229

$49.24 ¥329

365.05%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$9.03 ¥60.4

557.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$11.71 ¥78.3

497.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$15.74 ¥105

263.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.63 ¥105

4.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.43 ¥43.00

122.08%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$246 ¥1,645

512.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,528 ¥57.0K

151.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$90.9 ¥608

-41.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$32.82 ¥219

33.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$63.2 ¥422

34.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$98.4 ¥658

4.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$249 ¥1,662

667.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$180 ¥1,202

608.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$550 ¥3,679

565.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$332 ¥2,221

664.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,585 ¥24.0K

112.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,910 ¥12.8K

65.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,007 ¥6,734

408.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.15

115.56%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hefei: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Hefei

$180 23.5% 85.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Hefei

$230 30.1% 43.1% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Hefei

$70 9.2% 80.5% $288

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Hefei

$78 10.3% 77.8% $275

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Hefei

$128 16.8% 0.3% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Hefei

$29 3.8% 66.7% $57

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Hefei

$48 6.3% 17.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $249 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 408% 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 $23.00 in Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $230 per month, with Hefei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Hefei

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

05:04 5:04 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

9,369,881

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Hefei 12,180 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Hefei

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 Hefei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hefei wins on cost – living expenses run 249% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hefei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 408% 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 $249 in Hefei. 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 $764 in Hefei – a 249% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Hefei runs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $764 in Hefei versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hefei but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Hefei 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 Hefei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 249% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.