Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Jilin

For one person, living is cheaper in Jilin: $737 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,500 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Jilin
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Jilin Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Jilin

🇨🇳 China

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $737 in Jilin.

Austin, TX $2,698
Jilin $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,185 in Jilin.

Austin, TX $4,160
Jilin $1,185

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,633 in Jilin.

Austin, TX $5,622
Jilin $1,633

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 266% more expensive than in Jilin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Jilin is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$2.96 ¥19.79

596.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$22.66 ¥152

273.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$5.31 ¥35.51

127.31%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.46 ¥23.12

58.38%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.45 ¥2.98

744.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.25 ¥1.65

888.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.15 ¥7.69

600.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$2.26 ¥15.12

292.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.75 ¥11.67

-36.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.63 ¥10.92

128.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$0.93 ¥6.24

262.37%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$1.68 ¥11.21

157.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.07 ¥87.4

0.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$3.40 ¥22.75

316.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$11.15 ¥74.6

46.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.80 ¥12.07

152.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.28 ¥8.55

14.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.57 ¥10.48

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.26 ¥8.42

229.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.70 ¥4.68

268.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.96 ¥6.44

144.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.63 ¥4.21

180.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.54 ¥3.62

296.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$3.81 ¥25.49

165.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$11.76 ¥78.6

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.88 ¥5.92

220.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.62 ¥10.84

112.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.29 ¥1.91

431.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$18.27 ¥122

124.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.08 ¥7.21

159.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.24 ¥1.59

566.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$7.08 ¥47.35

385.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.25 ¥8.38

-24.80%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$19.7K ¥131.7K

72.53%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$17.2K ¥114.9K

55.71%

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

$223 $223

$56.7 ¥379

292.89%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$8.74 ¥58.4

573.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$11.28 ¥75.4

525.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$42.47 ¥284

35.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$15.22 ¥102

8.61%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$6.30 ¥42.12

126.35%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$415 ¥2,774

264.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$17.4K ¥116.6K

19.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$43.23 ¥289

18.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$34.09 ¥228

29.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$73.9 ¥494

17.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$74.2 ¥496

40.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$297 ¥1,989

552.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$181 ¥1,208

628.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$635 ¥4,248

476.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$377 ¥2,517

581.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,419 ¥22.9K

115.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,956 ¥13.1K

59.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$451 ¥3,018

1071.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.36

102.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Jilin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Jilin

$181 24.5% 86.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Jilin

$207 28.2% 48.9% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Jilin

$77 10.4% 78.2% $275

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Jilin

$94 12.8% 73.1% $256

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Jilin

$101 13.8% 21.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Jilin

$55 7.5% 36.1% $31

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Jilin

$22 2.9% 62.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $297 in Jilin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1071% 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 Jilin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $207 per month, with Jilin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Jilin

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

06:18 6:18 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

3,623,713

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Jilin 10,620 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Jilin

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 Jilin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jilin wins on cost – living expenses run 266% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jilin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1071% 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 $297 in Jilin. 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 $737 in Jilin – a 266% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jilin runs roughly 124% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $737 in Jilin versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jilin but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Jilin 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 Jilin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 266% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.