Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Taiyuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Taiyuan: $589 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,900 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Taiyuan
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Taiyuan Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Taiyuan

🇨🇳 China

$589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $589 in Taiyuan.

Austin, TX $2,663
Taiyuan $589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $913 in Taiyuan.

Austin, TX $4,133
Taiyuan $913

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,238 in Taiyuan.

Austin, TX $5,603
Taiyuan $1,238

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 352% more expensive than in Taiyuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Taiyuan is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.28 ¥15.21

810.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$14.73 ¥98.4

474.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.40 ¥29.37

180.00%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.64 ¥17.60

113.26%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.47 ¥3.11

691.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.29 ¥1.92

762.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.22 ¥8.12

559.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.15 ¥14.36

319.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.83 ¥5.51

292.77%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.01 ¥6.75

312.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.02 ¥86.9

24.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.87 ¥12.50

131.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.38 ¥9.20

5.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.81 ¥5.40

456.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.16 ¥7.76

274.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.48 ¥3.20

437.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.29 ¥1.91

710.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.46 ¥3.07

382.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.95 ¥19.72

234.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$7.56 ¥50.5

99.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.87 ¥5.80

235.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.45 ¥9.71

138.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.31 ¥2.08

380.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$13.65 ¥91.1

205.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.18 ¥7.89

131.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.23 ¥1.53

621.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$3.73 ¥24.88

846.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.25 ¥8.32

-24.00%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$20.0K ¥133.4K

80.42%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$17.5K ¥117.1K

54.39%

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

$229 $229

$94.3 ¥630

142.78%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$10.27 ¥68.6

478.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$12.74 ¥85.1

448.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$45.17 ¥302

26.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$8.76 ¥58.5

86.42%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.64 ¥44.31

115.06%

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

$1,506 $1,506

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$27.60 ¥184

91.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$67.2 ¥449

-34.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$74.0 ¥494

14.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$59.4 ¥397

73.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$223 ¥1,488

755.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$114 ¥759

1020.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$556 ¥3,714

558.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$259 ¥1,730

879.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,629 ¥17.6K

189.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,252 ¥8,356

152.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$928 ¥6,194

452.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.83

77.28%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Taiyuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Taiyuan

$114 19.3% 91.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Taiyuan

$103 * 17.5% 74.6% $302

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Taiyuan

$117 19.9% 67.2% $241

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Taiyuan

$76 13% 78.4% $277

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Taiyuan

$103 17.4% 19.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Taiyuan

$58 9.9% 31.9% $27

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Taiyuan

$17 2.9% 70.7% $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 $223 in Taiyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 452% 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 $15.00 in Taiyuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $103 per month, with Taiyuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Taiyuan

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

14:16 2:16 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

3,525,300

💱 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 = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

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Austin, TX Taiyuan 11,810 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Taiyuan

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 Taiyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taiyuan wins on cost – living expenses run 352% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taiyuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 452% 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 $223 in Taiyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Taiyuan – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Taiyuan runs roughly 206% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $589 in Taiyuan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taiyuan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Taiyuan 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 Taiyuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 352% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.