Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Shaoxing

For one person, living is cheaper in Shaoxing: $750 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Shaoxing
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Shaoxing Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Shaoxing

🇨🇳 China

$750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $750 in Shaoxing.

Austin, TX $2,663
Shaoxing $750

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,202 in Shaoxing.

Austin, TX $4,133
Shaoxing $1,202

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,655 in Shaoxing.

Austin, TX $5,603
Shaoxing $1,655

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 255% more expensive than in Shaoxing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Shaoxing is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.64 ¥24.31

470.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$22.73 ¥152

272.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.38 ¥35.97

129.00%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.56 ¥17.11

119.92%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.57 ¥3.84

552.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.36 ¥2.38

594.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.10 ¥7.35

631.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.19 ¥14.62

311.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.77 ¥11.84

-36.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.03 ¥13.55

84.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.79 ¥5.26

312.66%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.67 ¥11.16

149.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.66 ¥78.0

10.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.24 ¥21.66

337.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.25 ¥68.6

58.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.72 ¥11.52

151.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.65 ¥11.06

-11.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.64 ¥10.97

175.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.05 ¥7.02

313.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.82 ¥5.45

214.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.89 ¥5.95

164.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.61 ¥4.11

191.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.60 ¥3.99

270.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.39 ¥22.67

191.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.42 ¥69.7

44.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.75 ¥4.98

289.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.60 ¥10.67

116.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.21 ¥1.40

609.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$19.93 ¥133

109.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.90 ¥12.68

43.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.43 ¥2.87

286.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$8.87 ¥59.3

297.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.35 ¥9.01

-29.63%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$19.5K ¥130.1K

85.21%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.9K ¥126.3K

43.31%

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

$229 $229

$46.75 ¥313

389.82%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$7.90 ¥52.8

651.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$9.08 ¥60.7

669.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$15.75 ¥105

263.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$6.91 ¥46.21

136.32%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.87 ¥45.92

107.86%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$834 ¥5,574

80.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$24.8K ¥165.6K

-13.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$39.20 ¥262

34.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$30.88 ¥206

41.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$76.5 ¥511

10.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$108 ¥721

-4.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$428 ¥2,861

345.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$226 ¥1,512

463.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$609 ¥4,069

502.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$456 ¥3,047

456.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$6,275 ¥42.0K

21.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,564 ¥23.8K

-11.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$898 ¥6,005

470.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.36

102.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shaoxing: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Shaoxing

$226 30.2% 82.3% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Shaoxing

$202 26.9% 50.1% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Shaoxing

$64 8.5% 82.2% $295

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Shaoxing

$90 11.9% 74.7% $264

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Shaoxing

$114 15.3% 10.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Shaoxing

$29 3.9% 65.6% $56

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Shaoxing

$25 3.3% 57.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $428 in Shaoxing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 470% 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 Shaoxing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $202 per month, with Shaoxing cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Shaoxing

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

14:25 2:25 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

4,912,239

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 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 Shaoxing 12,180 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Shaoxing

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 Shaoxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shaoxing wins on cost – living expenses run 255% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shaoxing the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 470% 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 $428 in Shaoxing. 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 $750 in Shaoxing – a 255% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Shaoxing runs roughly 109% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $750 in Shaoxing versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shaoxing but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 255% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.