Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Quzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Quzhou: $679 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,800 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Quzhou
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Quzhou Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Quzhou

🇨🇳 China

$679

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $679 in Quzhou.

Austin, TX $2,663
Quzhou $679

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

Austin, TX $4,133
Quzhou $1,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,586 in Quzhou.

Austin, TX $5,603
Quzhou $1,586

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 292% more expensive than in Quzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Quzhou is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.88 ¥19.27

621.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$30.36 ¥203

178.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.52 ¥30.22

172.57%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.48 ¥23.27

61.78%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.48 ¥3.21

675.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.31 ¥2.07

706.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.07 ¥7.17

652.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.29 ¥21.99

173.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.76 ¥11.79

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.12 ¥7.46

234.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.68 ¥4.52

379.41%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.63 ¥10.88

155.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$15.17 ¥101

-14.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.78 ¥25.26

274.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.84 ¥59.1

83.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.08 ¥7.22

300.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.56 ¥10.46

-6.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.50 ¥10.02

200.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.23 ¥8.25

252.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.58 ¥3.90

344.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.71 ¥4.73

230.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.65 ¥4.34

173.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.55 ¥3.65

303.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.37 ¥29.22

126.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.08 ¥54.1

86.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.75 ¥5.01

289.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.48 ¥9.88

133.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.29 ¥1.94

413.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$16.07 ¥107

159.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.77 ¥11.81

54.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.37 ¥2.49

348.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$7.15 ¥47.80

393.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.27 ¥8.51

-25.20%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$19.1K ¥127.4K

89.16%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.2K ¥121.9K

48.59%

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

$229 $229

$52.0 ¥347

340.79%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$6.82 ¥45.58

770.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$8.09 ¥54.1

764.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$37.80 ¥253

51.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.94 ¥93.2

17.14%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.74 ¥51.8

84.50%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$418 ¥2,798

259.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$15.6K ¥104.5K

37.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$62.2 ¥416

-15.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$27.26 ¥182

60.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$61.0 ¥408

38.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$51.5 ¥345

99.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$286 ¥1,915

565.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$163 ¥1,087

683.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$716 ¥4,788

411.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$368 ¥2,458

590.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,840 ¥25.7K

98.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,738 ¥11.6K

81.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$690 ¥4,615

642.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.18

113.52%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Quzhou: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Quzhou

$163 23.9% 87.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Quzhou

$191 28.1% 52.8% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Quzhou

$67 9.9% 81.3% $291

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Quzhou

$93 13.8% 73.6% $260

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Quzhou

$91 13.4% 29% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Quzhou

$53 7.9% 37.9% $33

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Quzhou

$21 3.1% 64.5% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $286 in Quzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 642% 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 Quzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $191 per month, with Quzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Quzhou

🕒 Local time

03:07 3:07 AM

16:07 4:07 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

2,122,661

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Quzhou 12,370 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Quzhou

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 Quzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 292% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Quzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 642% 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 $286 in Quzhou. 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 $679 in Quzhou – a 292% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Quzhou runs roughly 160% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $679 in Quzhou versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quzhou but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Quzhou 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 Quzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 292% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.