Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Jining

For one person, living is cheaper in Jining: $675 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Jining
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Jining Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Jining

🇨🇳 China

$675

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $675 in Jining.

Austin, TX $2,663
Jining $675

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,012 in Jining.

Austin, TX $4,133
Jining $1,012

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,349 in Jining.

Austin, TX $5,603
Jining $1,349

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 294% more expensive than in Jining, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Jining is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.19 ¥14.62

848.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$16.48 ¥110

413.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.37 ¥29.21

181.92%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.51 ¥16.75

124.30%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.51 ¥3.41

629.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.31 ¥2.08

706.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$0.93 ¥6.21

765.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.61 ¥10.80

459.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.70 ¥11.35

-34.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.18 ¥7.89

217.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.94 ¥6.27

246.81%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$0.96 ¥6.43

334.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.16 ¥54.5

58.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$2.87 ¥19.17

393.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.26 ¥68.6

58.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.45 ¥9.68

198.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.99 ¥6.61

47.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.06 ¥7.06

325.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.17 ¥7.84

270.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.61 ¥4.09

322.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.73 ¥4.89

221.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.66 ¥4.42

169.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.76 ¥5.08

192.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.31 ¥35.50

86.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.86 ¥65.9

52.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.95 ¥6.32

207.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.61 ¥10.74

114.91%

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

$18.21 ¥122

129.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.04 ¥6.94

162.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.29 ¥1.93

472.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$3.60 ¥24.10

880.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.31 ¥8.77

-27.48%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$19.3K ¥129.0K

86.79%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$17.6K ¥117.7K

53.85%

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

$229 $229

$60.8 ¥407

276.50%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$6.92 ¥46.30

758.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$10.47 ¥70.0

567.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$42.31 ¥283

35.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.20 ¥102

7.43%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.43 ¥29.64

222.35%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$386 ¥2,578

290.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$7,427 ¥49.7K

188.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$43.12 ¥288

22.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$33.56 ¥224

30.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$72.6 ¥485

16.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$69.8 ¥466

47.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$281 ¥1,880

578.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$182 ¥1,214

601.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$391 ¥2,615

836.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$269 ¥1,796

845.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,524 ¥23.6K

116.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,958 ¥13.1K

61.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$592 ¥3,957

765.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.29

106.38%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Jining: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Jining

$182 26.9% 85.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Jining

$172 25.5% 57.5% $233

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Jining

$78 11.6% 78.2% $280

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Jining

$72 10.6% 79.7% $282

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Jining

$99 14.6% 23% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Jining

$51 7.6% 40.4% $35

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Jining

$22 3.3% 62.6% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $281 in Jining. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 765% 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 Jining for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $172 per month, with Jining cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Jining

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

17:00 5:00 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

8,357,897

💱 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 Jining 11,880 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Jining

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 Jining: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jining wins on cost – living expenses run 294% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jining the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 765% 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 $281 in Jining. 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 $675 in Jining – a 294% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jining runs roughly 129% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $675 in Jining versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jining but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Jining 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 Jining gentler on the wallet – expenses run 294% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.