Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Quanzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Quanzhou: $815 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,200 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Quanzhou
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Quanzhou Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Quanzhou

🇨🇳 China

$815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $815 in Quanzhou.

Austin, TX $2,663
Quanzhou $815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,204 in Quanzhou.

Austin, TX $4,133
Quanzhou $1,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,593 in Quanzhou.

Austin, TX $5,603
Quanzhou $1,593

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 227% more expensive than in Quanzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Quanzhou is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.20 ¥14.68

844.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$30.02 ¥201

181.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.48 ¥43.31

90.12%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.26 ¥21.80

72.70%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.96 ¥6.39

287.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.27 ¥1.79

825.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.95 ¥19.68

172.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.75 ¥11.71

414.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.45 ¥9.71

-22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.86 ¥5.73

336.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.93 ¥6.23

250.54%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.53 ¥10.26

172.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.68 ¥51.3

67.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$2.30 ¥15.34

515.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$5.12 ¥34.22

216.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.46 ¥9.73

196.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.99 ¥6.61

47.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.72 ¥4.80

526.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.08 ¥7.20

301.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.46 ¥3.10

460.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.05 ¥6.99

123.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.16 ¥1.09

1012.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.48 ¥3.17

362.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.15 ¥21.06

213.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$7.67 ¥51.2

96.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.88 ¥5.91

231.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.38 ¥9.19

150.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.31 ¥2.07

380.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$23.44 ¥157

77.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.22 ¥8.17

123.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.35 ¥2.34

374.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$9.01 ¥60.2

291.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.25 ¥8.35

-24.00%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$17.6K ¥117.5K

104.92%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$15.7K ¥104.8K

72.54%

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

$229 $229

$52.8 ¥353

334.02%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$7.95 ¥53.1

647.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$12.15 ¥81.2

475.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$54.4 ¥363

5.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.63 ¥124

-12.35%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.83 ¥38.92

144.94%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$514 ¥3,435

192.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$11.8K ¥78.9K

81.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$20.64 ¥138

155.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$34.07 ¥228

28.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$92.7 ¥619

-8.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$96.5 ¥645

6.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$277 ¥1,849

589.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$303 ¥2,025

320.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$503 ¥3,358

629.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$410 ¥2,740

518.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,004 ¥20.1K

153.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,008 ¥13.4K

57.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$829 ¥5,540

517.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.15

115.56%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Quanzhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Quanzhou

$303 37.2% 76.2% $971

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Quanzhou

$137 16.8% 66.2% $268

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Quanzhou

$73 8.9% 79.7% $285

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Quanzhou

$99 12.2% 71.9% $255

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Quanzhou

$110 13.5% 14.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Quanzhou

$66 8.1% 23% $20

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Quanzhou

$28 3.4% 52.9% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $277 in Quanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 518% 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 $30.00 in Quanzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $137 per month, with Quanzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Quanzhou

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

17:58 5:58 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

8,128,530

💱 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 16, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Quanzhou 12,760 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Quanzhou

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 Quanzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quanzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 227% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Quanzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 518% 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 $277 in Quanzhou. 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 $815 in Quanzhou – a 227% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Quanzhou runs roughly 78% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $815 in Quanzhou versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quanzhou but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Quanzhou 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 Quanzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 227% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.