Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Liaocheng

For one person, living is cheaper in Liaocheng: $650 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,698
/mo nomad
Liaocheng
🇨🇳 China
$650
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $650 in Liaocheng.

  • Austin, TX $2,698
  • Liaocheng $650

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,036 in Liaocheng.

  • Austin, TX $4,160
  • Liaocheng $1,036

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,422 in Liaocheng.

  • Austin, TX $5,622
  • Liaocheng $1,422

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 315% more expensive than in Liaocheng, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Liaocheng is 52% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Liaocheng
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.63 $20.63
$2.56 ¥17.11
705.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$13.71 ¥91.7
516.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.07 $12.07
$4.89 ¥32.69
146.83%
Cappuccino
$5.48 $5.48
$1.89 ¥12.66
189.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 $3.80
$0.37 ¥2.46
927.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$0.21 ¥1.40
1076.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$0.79 ¥5.27
918.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.88 $8.88
$1.94 ¥12.94
357.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Liaocheng
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.52 ¥10.17
-26.97%
White Bread (500g)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.41 ¥9.45
163.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.37 $3.37
$0.92 ¥6.18
266.30%
Eggs
$4.32 $4.32
$1.08 ¥7.21
300.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.13 $13.13
$11.62 ¥77.7
12.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.15 $14.15
$2.91 ¥19.46
386.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.33 $16.33
$11.01 ¥73.6
48.32%
Apples (1kg)
$4.55 $4.55
$1.39 ¥9.30
227.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.00 ¥6.71
46.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.71 $4.71
$1.42 ¥9.52
231.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$1.13 ¥7.58
267.26%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$0.58 ¥3.85
344.83%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.74 ¥4.94
217.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.77 $1.77
$0.58 ¥3.85
205.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.14 $2.14
$0.63 ¥4.19
239.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.10 $10.10
$2.20 ¥14.71
359.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.19 $15.19
$9.84 ¥65.8
54.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$0.72 ¥4.79
291.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 $3.44
$1.35 ¥9.06
154.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Liaocheng
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.54 $1.54
$0.29 ¥1.94
431.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.99 $40.99
$18.03 ¥121
127.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.80 $2.80
$1.22 ¥8.13
129.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 $1.60
$0.27 ¥1.82
492.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.34 $34.34
$4.56 ¥30.51
653.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.10 ¥7.38
-14.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.0K $34.0K
$19.8K ¥132.2K
71.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$14.9K ¥99.6K
79.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Liaocheng
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$45.39 ¥304
390.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$5.88 ¥39.31
901.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.6 $70.6
$5.15 ¥34.46
1270.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Liaocheng
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.7 $57.7
$41.26 ¥276
39.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.53 $16.53
$14.79 ¥98.9
11.76%
Cinema Ticket
$14.26 $14.26
$4.43 ¥29.64
221.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Liaocheng
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,511 $1,511
$216 ¥1,444
599.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.9K $20.9K
$19.9K ¥133.3K
4.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Liaocheng
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3 $51.3
$34.21 ¥229
49.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.17 $44.17
$29.89 ¥200
47.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.0 $87.0
$70.7 ¥473
22.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$59.1 ¥395
76.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Liaocheng
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,940 $1,940
$304 ¥2,035
537.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,316 $1,316
$183 ¥1,224
619.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$639 ¥4,275
473.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,565 $2,565
$383 ¥2,563
569.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,354 $7,354
$3,543 ¥23.7K
107.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,129 $3,129
$1,302 ¥8,708
140.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Liaocheng
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,286 $5,286
$590 ¥3,945
796.01%
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 19, 2026

Last update for Liaocheng: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Liaocheng
$183 86.1% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$406
Liaocheng
$183 54.9% $223
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$352
Liaocheng
$56 84% $296
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$350
Liaocheng
$68 80.6% $282
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Liaocheng
$87 32.4% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Liaocheng
$50 41.9% $36
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$58
Liaocheng
$22 62.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $304 in Liaocheng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 796% 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 $14.00 in Liaocheng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $183 per month, with Liaocheng cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇨🇳 Liaocheng
🕒 Local time
06:34 6:34 AM
19:34 7:34 PM
13 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
1,230,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Liaocheng 11,810 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Liaocheng

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 Liaocheng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Liaocheng?
Liaocheng wins on cost – living expenses run 315% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Liaocheng the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Liaocheng?
Average pay runs 796% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Liaocheng?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $304 in Liaocheng. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Liaocheng?
All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $650 in Liaocheng – a 315% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Liaocheng?
A monthly transit pass in Liaocheng runs roughly 127% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Liaocheng?
At $650 in Liaocheng versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Liaocheng but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Liaocheng the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Liaocheng?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Liaocheng gentler on the wallet – expenses run 315% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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