Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Longyan

For one person, living is cheaper in Longyan: $462 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Longyan
Learn more

Longyan Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Longyan

🇨🇳 China

$462

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $462 in Longyan.

Austin, TX $2,698
Longyan $462

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $750 in Longyan.

Austin, TX $4,160
Longyan $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,038 in Longyan.

Austin, TX $5,622
Longyan $1,038

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 484% more expensive than in Longyan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Longyan is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$2.95 ¥19.74

599.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$22.57 ¥151

274.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$4.96 ¥33.19

143.35%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$2.20 ¥14.72

149.09%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.44 ¥2.94

763.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.27 ¥1.79

814.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$0.88 ¥5.87

814.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$1.60 ¥10.68

455.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.08 ¥13.90

-46.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.42 ¥9.47

161.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$0.78 ¥5.22

332.05%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$1.48 ¥9.90

191.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$7.63 ¥51.0

72.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$2.18 ¥14.61

549.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$8.99 ¥60.1

81.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.89 ¥12.63

140.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.34 ¥8.95

8.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.77 ¥11.83

166.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.12 ¥7.48

270.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.89 ¥5.97

189.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.01 ¥6.75

132.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.43 ¥2.90

311.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.48 ¥3.21

345.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$3.42 ¥22.85

195.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.16 ¥81.3

24.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.78 ¥5.21

261.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.18 ¥7.89

191.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.16 ¥1.08

862.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.06 ¥7.10

164.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.47 ¥3.12

240.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$7.57 ¥50.6

353.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.31 ¥8.76

-28.24%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$19.3K ¥129.1K

76.00%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$15.6K ¥104.3K

71.64%

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

$223 $223

$66.3 ¥443

235.77%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$15.68 ¥105

275.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$8.86 ¥59.3

696.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$4.40 ¥29.44

275.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$7.61 ¥50.9

87.39%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$213 ¥1,425

608.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$11.7K ¥78.4K

78.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$29.86 ¥200

71.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$14.92 ¥99.8

196.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$76.0 ¥508

14.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$98.4 ¥658

6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$377 ¥2,518

873.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,338 ¥8,949

133.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$485 ¥3,243

990.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.46

96.24%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Longyan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Longyan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Longyan

$178 38.5% 56.2% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Longyan

$91 19.7% 74.2% $261

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Longyan

$75 16.3% 78.5% $275

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Longyan

$99 21.4% 23.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Longyan

$15 * 3.3% 82.3% $71

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Longyan

$4 * 0.9% 93% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 990% 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 Longyan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $178 per month, with Longyan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Longyan

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

10:58 10:58 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

2,559,545

💱 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 23, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 23, 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 Longyan 12,830 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Longyan

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 Longyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Longyan wins on cost – living expenses run 484% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Longyan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 990% 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.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $213 in Longyan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Longyan – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $462 in Longyan versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Longyan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Longyan 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 Longyan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 484% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.