Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Nanjing

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanjing: $841 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Nanjing
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Nanjing Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Nanjing

🇨🇳 China

$841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $841 in Nanjing.

Austin, TX $2,704
Nanjing $841

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,339 in Nanjing.

Austin, TX $4,133
Nanjing $1,339

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,837 in Nanjing.

Austin, TX $5,562
Nanjing $1,837

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 221% more expensive than in Nanjing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Nanjing is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$3.67 ¥24.54

450.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$22.21 ¥148

282.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$4.97 ¥33.22

148.49%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.01 ¥20.12

81.73%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.50 ¥3.31

664.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.27 ¥1.81

825.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.45 ¥9.66

455.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.29 ¥15.28

292.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.16 ¥14.46

-47.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.07 ¥13.84

82.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.91 ¥6.07

257.14%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.35 ¥9.02

206.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$10.64 ¥71.1

22.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$3.02 ¥20.20

373.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$8.97 ¥59.9

77.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.09 ¥13.95

109.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.28 ¥8.58

13.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.77 ¥11.86

156.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.07 ¥7.17

291.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.91 ¥6.08

189.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.90 ¥6.05

162.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.93 ¥6.24

89.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.52 ¥3.45

315.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.75 ¥25.05

161.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$13.34 ¥89.2

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.01 ¥6.72

175.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.56 ¥10.45

123.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.31 ¥2.08

380.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$29.72 ¥199

36.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.75 ¥11.71

52.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.41 ¥2.77

285.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$8.91 ¥59.6

296.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.37 ¥9.13

-27.74%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$19.1K ¥127.8K

87.18%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$16.6K ¥110.6K

64.19%

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

$219 $219

$53.6 ¥358

309.24%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$7.59 ¥50.7

664.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$7.28 ¥48.66

839.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$28.49 ¥190

103.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$33.70 ¥225

-56.02%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$5.86 ¥39.15

141.13%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$1,459 ¥9,753

3.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$22.5K ¥150.7K

-4.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$43.40 ¥290

19.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$33.88 ¥226

30.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$65.7 ¥439

29.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$86.9 ¥581

21.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$529 ¥3,535

265.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$295 ¥1,974

330.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,115 ¥7,452

229.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$557 ¥3,722

353.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$5,013 ¥33.5K

51.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$3,140 ¥21.0K

1.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,419 ¥9,485

259.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.42

98.54%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nanjing: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Nanjing

$295 35.1% 76.8% $977

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Nanjing

$205 24.4% 49.1% $198

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Nanjing

$95 11.3% 72.6% $253

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Nanjing

$68 8.1% 80.2% $277

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Nanjing

$103 12.3% 19.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Nanjing

$40 4.8% 53.3% $46

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Nanjing

$35 4.1% 39% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $529 in Nanjing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 260% 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 $22.00 in Nanjing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $205 per month, with Nanjing cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Nanjing

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

11:22 11:22 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

9,314,685

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Nanjing 12,090 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Nanjing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanjing wins on cost – living expenses run 221% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nanjing the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 260% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $529 in Nanjing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $841 in Nanjing – a 221% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nanjing runs roughly 36% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $841 in Nanjing versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nanjing but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Nanjing 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 Nanjing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 221% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.