Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Jinan

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinan: $637 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Jinan
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Jinan Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Jinan

🇨🇳 China

$637

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $637 in Jinan.

Austin, TX $2,663
Jinan $637

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,058 in Jinan.

Austin, TX $4,133
Jinan $1,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,479 in Jinan.

Austin, TX $5,603
Jinan $1,479

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 318% more expensive than in Jinan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.66 ¥17.81

680.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$24.21 ¥162

249.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.98 ¥33.32

147.39%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.45 ¥16.38

129.80%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.43 ¥2.86

765.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.23 ¥1.54

986.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$0.92 ¥6.16

775.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.01 ¥13.47

348.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.49 ¥9.99

-24.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.48 ¥9.90

153.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.20 ¥8.01

171.67%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.11 ¥7.41

275.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.06 ¥80.6

6.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.36 ¥22.44

321.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.28 ¥75.4

43.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.45 ¥9.69

198.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.02 ¥6.80

43.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.41 ¥9.44

219.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.13 ¥7.59

284.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.63 ¥4.21

309.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.68 ¥4.55

245.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.53 ¥3.54

235.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.62 ¥4.16

258.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.79 ¥25.34

160.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.86 ¥65.9

52.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.67 ¥4.45

335.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.35 ¥9.05

156.30%

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

$9.02 ¥60.3

362.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.58 ¥10.59

72.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.27 ¥1.81

514.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.35 ¥29.06

711.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.31 ¥8.74

-27.48%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$19.6K ¥131.1K

83.83%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$15.1K ¥100.9K

79.49%

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

$229 $229

$71.2 ¥476

221.84%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$6.64 ¥44.37

794.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$5.01 ¥33.47

1295.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$24.20 ¥162

136.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$8.63 ¥57.7

89.22%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.34 ¥35.68

167.42%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$216 ¥1,442

598.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$19.7K ¥131.8K

8.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$33.35 ¥223

58.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$41.83 ¥280

4.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$69.8 ¥467

21.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$68.7 ¥459

49.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$249 ¥1,664

666.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$144 ¥964

783.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$604 ¥4,040

506.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$364 ¥2,433

597.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,519 ¥16.8K

202.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,341 ¥8,965

135.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$981 ¥6,558

422.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.13

116.93%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Jinan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Jinan

$144 22.6% 88.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Jinan

$189 29.7% 53.3% $216

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Jinan

$83 13% 76.9% $276

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Jinan

$77 12.1% 78.3% $277

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Jinan

$96 15.1% 24.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Jinan

$35 5.5% 59.3% $51

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Jinan

$13 2.1% 77.5% $45

Cost Breakdown

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

Austin, TX pays 422% 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 $24.00 in Jinan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $189 per month, with Jinan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Jinan

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

16:30 4:30 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

9,202,432

💱 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 Jinan 11,730 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Jinan

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 Jinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jinan wins on cost – living expenses run 318% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jinan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 422% 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 Jinan. 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 $637 in Jinan – a 318% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jinan runs roughly 363% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $637 in Jinan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jinan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Jinan 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 Jinan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 318% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.