Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Rizhao

For one person, living is cheaper in Rizhao: $667 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 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 Rizhao
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Rizhao Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Rizhao

🇨🇳 China

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $667 in Rizhao.

Austin, TX $2,663
Rizhao $667

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,077 in Rizhao.

Austin, TX $4,133
Rizhao $1,077

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,487 in Rizhao.

Austin, TX $5,603
Rizhao $1,487

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 299% more expensive than in Rizhao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Rizhao is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.54 ¥16.95

717.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$19.14 ¥128

341.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.82 ¥32.21

155.60%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.95 ¥13.05

188.72%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.46 ¥3.10

708.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.23 ¥1.54

986.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$0.88 ¥5.87

814.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.98 ¥13.21

355.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.46 ¥9.78

-23.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.48 ¥9.87

153.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.46 ¥3.08

608.70%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.07 ¥7.14

289.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.73 ¥78.4

9.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.34 ¥22.32

323.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.35 ¥75.9

42.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.46 ¥9.78

196.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.02 ¥6.81

43.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.77 ¥5.17

485.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.14 ¥7.65

280.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.58 ¥3.87

344.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.68 ¥4.57

245.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.58 ¥3.85

206.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.63 ¥4.19

252.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.66 ¥24.45

169.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.99 ¥66.8

50.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.72 ¥4.81

305.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.36 ¥9.08

154.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.29 ¥1.93

413.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$17.44 ¥117

139.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.23 ¥8.20

121.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.25 ¥1.67

564.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.52 ¥30.21

680.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.19 ¥7.92

-20.17%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$19.1K ¥127.6K

88.86%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$14.8K ¥99.1K

82.66%

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

$229 $229

$73.5 ¥491

211.55%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$6.63 ¥44.30

795.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$5.18 ¥34.65

1249.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$36.51 ¥244

56.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.25 ¥88.6

23.25%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.36 ¥35.87

166.42%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$218 ¥1,458

590.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$19.8K ¥132.4K

8.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$34.08 ¥228

54.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$43.15 ¥289

1.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$71.2 ¥476

18.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$69.4 ¥464

48.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$299 ¥1,999

537.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$163 ¥1,090

681.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$623 ¥4,167

488.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$375 ¥2,505

577.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,578 ¥23.9K

112.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,144 ¥14.3K

47.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.13

116.93%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rizhao: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Rizhao

$163 24.4% 87.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Rizhao

$183 27.4% 54.8% $222

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Rizhao

$85 12.8% 76.2% $273

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Rizhao

$69 10.4% 80.4% $285

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Rizhao

$98 14.7% 23.4% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Rizhao

$47 7.1% 44.9% $39

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Rizhao

$21 3.2% 64.1% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $299 in Rizhao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $19.00 in Rizhao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $183 per month, with Rizhao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Rizhao

🕒 Local time

02:35 2:35 AM

15:35 3:35 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,143,000

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Rizhao 11,740 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Rizhao

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 Rizhao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rizhao wins on cost – living expenses run 299% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rizhao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,000 in Rizhao to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $299 in Rizhao. 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 $667 in Rizhao – a 299% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rizhao runs roughly 139% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $667 in Rizhao versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rizhao but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Rizhao 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 Rizhao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 299% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.