Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Putian

For one person, living is cheaper in Putian: $518 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,200 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Putian
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Putian Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Putian

🇨🇳 China

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $518 in Putian.

Austin, TX $2,698
Putian $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $854 in Putian.

Austin, TX $4,160
Putian $854

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,190 in Putian.

Austin, TX $5,622
Putian $1,190

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 421% more expensive than in Putian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Putian is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$2.21 ¥14.79

833.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$23.26 ¥156

263.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$5.17 ¥34.57

133.46%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$2.44 ¥16.32

124.59%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.43 ¥2.88

783.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.29 ¥1.92

751.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$0.77 ¥5.16

945.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$2.93 ¥19.58

203.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.47 ¥9.82

-24.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.25 ¥15.07

65.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$0.93 ¥6.19

262.37%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$1.58 ¥10.58

173.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.73 ¥78.4

11.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$2.43 ¥16.22

482.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.18 ¥81.4

34.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.55 ¥17.03

78.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.42 ¥9.49

2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.70 ¥11.34

177.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.98 ¥13.25

109.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.02 ¥6.79

152.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.77 ¥11.86

32.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.93 ¥6.19

90.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.50 ¥3.36

328.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$3.04 ¥20.31

232.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$11.18 ¥74.8

35.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.83 ¥5.58

239.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.71 ¥11.44

101.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.74 ¥4.92

108.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$22.38 ¥150

83.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.52 ¥10.16

84.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.29 ¥1.94

451.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$7.02 ¥46.94

389.17%

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

$19.4K ¥129.8K

75.04%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$17.8K ¥118.8K

50.63%

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

$223 $223

$44.03 ¥294

405.68%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$8.87 ¥59.3

564.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$10.55 ¥70.6

569.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$10.08 ¥67.4

41.47%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$492 ¥3,286

207.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$24.5K ¥163.6K

-14.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$39.10 ¥261

31.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$29.11 ¥195

51.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$103 ¥691

-15.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$85.7 ¥573

21.75%

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

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,637 ¥17.6K

178.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,115 ¥7,452

180.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$480 ¥3,211

1000.70%

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 Putian: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Putian

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Putian

$215 41.6% 47% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Putian

$63 12.3% 82% $289

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Putian

$75 14.5% 78.6% $275

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Putian

$116 22.4% 10.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Putian

$20 * 3.9% 76.6% $66

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Putian

$28 5.5% 51.2% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 1001% 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 Putian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $215 per month, with Putian cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Putian

🕒 Local time

18:25 6:25 PM

07:25 7:25 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,954,000

💱 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 Putian 12,690 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Putian

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 Putian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Putian wins on cost – living expenses run 421% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Putian the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1001% 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.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $518 in Putian – a 421% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Putian runs roughly 83% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $518 in Putian versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Putian but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Putian 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 Putian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 421% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.