Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Urumqi

For one person, living is cheaper in Urumqi: $597 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Urumqi
Learn more

Urumqi Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Urumqi

🇨🇳 China

$597

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $597 in Urumqi.

Austin, TX $2,704
Urumqi $597

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $964 in Urumqi.

Austin, TX $4,133
Urumqi $964

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,332 in Urumqi.

Austin, TX $5,562
Urumqi $1,332

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 353% more expensive than in Urumqi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Urumqi is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$3.41 ¥22.84

492.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$18.01 ¥121

372.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$5.16 ¥34.52

139.34%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.79 ¥18.64

96.06%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.46 ¥3.10

730.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.26 ¥1.75

861.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.14 ¥7.64

607.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$1.77 ¥11.83

407.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.27 ¥8.52

-11.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.91 ¥6.07

315.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.65 ¥4.38

400.00%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.52 ¥10.20

172.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$5.81 ¥38.91

125.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$2.40 ¥16.06

496.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$9.91 ¥66.4

61.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.04 ¥13.64

114.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.26 ¥8.45

15.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.90 ¥12.69

138.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.72 ¥4.81

481.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.54 ¥3.59

387.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.57 ¥3.82

314.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.51 ¥3.38

245.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.48 ¥3.23

350.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.96 ¥19.85

231.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$10.17 ¥68.1

44.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.11 ¥7.41

150.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.52 ¥10.15

128.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.31 ¥2.10

380.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$17.86 ¥120

126.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.48 ¥9.91

80.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.29 ¥1.93

444.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$7.26 ¥48.58

386.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.19 ¥7.96

-16.81%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$17.8K ¥119.0K

101.47%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$14.0K ¥93.6K

94.31%

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

$219 $219

$66.8 ¥447

228.05%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$5.51 ¥36.90

952.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$11.18 ¥74.8

511.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$22.05 ¥148

162.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$9.48 ¥63.4

56.33%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$6.09 ¥40.76

132.02%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$161 ¥1,079

836.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,771 ¥58.7K

144.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$52.0 ¥348

-0.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$21.89 ¥147

101.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$105 ¥703

-18.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$44.58 ¥298

136.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$257 ¥1,721

651.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$121 ¥807

955.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$407 ¥2,727

800.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$247 ¥1,654

921.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,887 ¥12.6K

303.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,189 ¥7,959

169.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,136 ¥7,601

349.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.39

100.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Urumqi: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Urumqi

$121 19.9% 90.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Urumqi

$158 26% 60.8% $245

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Urumqi

$88 14.5% 74.6% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Urumqi

$84 13.8% 75.8% $262

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Urumqi

$101 16.6% 21.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Urumqi

$34 5.6% 60.3% $52

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Urumqi

$22 3.6% 61.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $257 in Urumqi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 350% 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 $18.00 in Urumqi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $158 per month, with Urumqi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Urumqi

🕒 Local time

22:49 10:49 PM

09:49 9:49 AM

11 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

4,054,369

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CNY = 0.149 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Urumqi 11,760 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Urumqi

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 Urumqi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Urumqi wins on cost – living expenses run 353% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Urumqi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 350% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $257 in Urumqi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $597 in Urumqi – a 353% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Urumqi runs roughly 127% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $597 in Urumqi versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Urumqi but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Urumqi 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 Urumqi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 353% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.