Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Tonghua

For one person, living is cheaper in Tonghua: $632 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Tonghua
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Tonghua Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Tonghua

🇨🇳 China

$632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $632 in Tonghua.

Austin, TX $2,698
Tonghua $632

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,034 in Tonghua.

Austin, TX $4,160
Tonghua $1,034

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,436 in Tonghua.

Austin, TX $5,622
Tonghua $1,436

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 327% more expensive than in Tonghua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Tonghua is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$2.20 ¥14.74

837.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$22.19 ¥148

281.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$5.09 ¥34.01

137.13%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$2.25 ¥15.07

143.56%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.47 ¥3.15

708.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.35 ¥2.35

605.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$0.79 ¥5.25

918.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$1.85 ¥12.38

380.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.68 ¥11.23

-33.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.14 ¥14.32

73.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.07 ¥7.16

214.95%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$1.06 ¥7.09

307.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.11 ¥87.6

0.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$2.94 ¥19.66

381.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$6.54 ¥43.73

149.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$0.99 ¥6.60

359.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.08 ¥7.21

35.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$0.81 ¥5.41

481.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.08 ¥7.23

284.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.92 ¥6.17

180.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.02 ¥6.85

130.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.59 ¥3.94

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.69 ¥4.60

210.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$3.64 ¥24.33

177.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$11.75 ¥78.5

29.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.65 ¥4.33

333.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.10 ¥7.38

212.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.31 ¥2.07

396.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$17.92 ¥120

128.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.92 ¥6.14

204.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.38 ¥2.56

321.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$3.07 ¥20.51

1018.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.31 ¥8.74

-28.24%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$19.3K ¥129.1K

76.02%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$17.0K ¥114.0K

57.01%

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

$223 $223

$23.25 ¥155

857.63%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$5.85 ¥39.12

906.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$8.98 ¥60.1

686.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.90 ¥280

37.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$15.09 ¥101

9.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$5.89 ¥39.36

142.11%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$294 ¥1,969

413.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$15.0K ¥100.6K

38.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$22.05 ¥147

132.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$34.01 ¥227

29.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$58.8 ¥393

47.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$69.4 ¥464

50.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$294 ¥1,965

560.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$179 ¥1,199

634.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$639 ¥4,273

473.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$375 ¥2,509

583.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,528 ¥23.6K

108.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,980 ¥13.2K

58.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$501 ¥3,350

955.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

69.75%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tonghua: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Tonghua

$179 28.4% 86.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Tonghua

$185 29.3% 54.5% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Tonghua

$38 6% 89.2% $314

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Tonghua

$71 11.2% 79.8% $279

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Tonghua

$83 13.1% 35.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Tonghua

$54 8.5% 37.7% $33

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Tonghua

$22 3.5% 62% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $294 in Tonghua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 955% 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 Tonghua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $185 per month, with Tonghua cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Tonghua

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

20:25 8:25 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

446,917

💱 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 Tonghua 10,840 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Tonghua

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 Tonghua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tonghua wins on cost – living expenses run 327% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tonghua the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 955% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $294 in Tonghua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $632 in Tonghua – a 327% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tonghua runs roughly 129% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $632 in Tonghua versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tonghua but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Tonghua 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 Tonghua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 327% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.