Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Shenyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenyang: $718 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Shenyang
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Shenyang Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Shenyang

🇨🇳 China

$718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $718 in Shenyang.

Austin, TX $2,663
Shenyang $718

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,071 in Shenyang.

Austin, TX $4,133
Shenyang $1,071

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,424 in Shenyang.

Austin, TX $5,603
Shenyang $1,424

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 271% more expensive than in Shenyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Shenyang is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.00 ¥20.07

592.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$22.24 ¥149

280.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.08 ¥33.98

142.52%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.46 ¥16.45

128.86%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.47 ¥3.17

691.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.38 ¥2.54

557.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$0.87 ¥5.79

825.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.82 ¥12.16

395.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.89 ¥12.67

-40.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.46 ¥16.46

52.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.08 ¥7.19

201.85%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.03 ¥6.88

304.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.99 ¥80.2

35.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.78 ¥11.91

143.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.19 ¥7.94

22.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.53 ¥10.23

183.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.61 ¥4.08

191.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.64 ¥4.27

246.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.77 ¥25.17

162.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$16.53 ¥111

-8.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.66 ¥4.40

342.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.09 ¥7.27

217.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.38 ¥2.57

292.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$12.91 ¥86.3

223.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.35 ¥9.04

102.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.31 ¥2.10

435.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$2.96 ¥19.78

1092.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.29 ¥8.65

-26.36%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$19.1K ¥127.7K

88.81%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.3K ¥122.5K

47.82%

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

$229 $229

$75.4 ¥504

203.78%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$15.87 ¥106

274.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$14.87 ¥99.4

370.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$22.27 ¥149

157.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$10.79 ¥72.1

51.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.09 ¥40.75

134.48%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$539 ¥3,606

179.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$21.3K ¥142.1K

0.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$42.49 ¥284

24.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$59.5 ¥398

42.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$69.5 ¥465

48.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$277 ¥1,850

589.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$242 ¥1,619

426.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$558 ¥3,734

556.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$393 ¥2,625

546.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,272 ¥15.2K

235.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,308 ¥8,745

141.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,115 ¥7,454

359.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.37

55.38%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shenyang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Shenyang

$242 33.7% 81% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Shenyang

$160 * 22.3% 60.4% $244

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Shenyang

$106 14.8% 70.4% $252

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Shenyang

$80 11.2% 77.3% $274

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Shenyang

$77 * 10.8% 39.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Shenyang

$34 4.8% 59.8% $51

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Shenyang

$17 2.4% 70.4% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Austin, TX pays 359% 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 $22.00 in Shenyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $160 per month, with Shenyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Shenyang

🕒 Local time

14:26 2:26 PM

03:26 3:26 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

9,199,601

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 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 Shenyang 10,960 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Shenyang

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 Shenyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenyang wins on cost – living expenses run 271% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shenyang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 359% 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 Shenyang. 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 $718 in Shenyang – a 271% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Shenyang runs roughly 223% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $718 in Shenyang versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shenyang but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Shenyang 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 Shenyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 271% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.