Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Xiamen

For one person, living is cheaper in Xiamen: $842 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Xiamen
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Xiamen Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Xiamen

🇨🇳 China

$842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $842 in Xiamen.

Austin, TX $2,704
Xiamen $842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,338 in Xiamen.

Austin, TX $4,133
Xiamen $1,338

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,835 in Xiamen.

Austin, TX $5,562
Xiamen $1,835

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 221% more expensive than in Xiamen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Xiamen is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$3.01 ¥20.10

571.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$23.67 ¥158

259.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$5.36 ¥35.85

130.41%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.51 ¥16.78

117.93%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.47 ¥3.14

712.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.35 ¥2.37

614.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.47 ¥9.86

448.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.99 ¥19.97

200.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.46 ¥9.78

-22.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.27 ¥15.20

66.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.98 ¥6.55

231.63%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.63 ¥10.92

153.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$11.95 ¥79.9

9.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$2.52 ¥16.83

467.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$11.73 ¥78.4

36.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.55 ¥17.05

71.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.47 ¥9.85

-1.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.66 ¥11.09

173.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.97 ¥13.19

112.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.03 ¥6.86

155.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.82 ¥12.18

29.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.91 ¥6.05

93.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.49 ¥3.31

340.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.06 ¥20.47

220.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$11.22 ¥75.0

31.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.81 ¥5.40

243.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.70 ¥11.37

104.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.16 ¥1.07

831.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$12.10 ¥80.9

234.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.47 ¥9.82

81.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.29 ¥1.92

444.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$7.34 ¥49.07

380.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.31 ¥8.78

-24.43%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$19.3K ¥128.8K

85.82%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$17.3K ¥115.4K

57.38%

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

$219 $219

$44.42 ¥297

393.63%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$8.81 ¥58.9

558.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$10.23 ¥68.3

568.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$48.22 ¥322

20.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$10.59 ¥70.8

39.94%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$10.22 ¥68.3

38.26%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$488 ¥3,264

208.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$24.1K ¥161.3K

-11.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$38.84 ¥260

33.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$28.49 ¥190

54.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$105 ¥703

-19.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$84.5 ¥565

24.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$342 ¥2,283

465.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$269 ¥1,798

372.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$825 ¥5,511

345.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$547 ¥3,655

361.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$8,597 ¥57.5K

-11.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$4,684 ¥31.3K

-31.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,138 ¥7,607

348.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.46

96.24%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Xiamen: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Xiamen

$269 32.2% 78.9% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Xiamen

$216 25.8% 46.5% $187

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Xiamen

$87 10.4% 75% $261

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Xiamen

$63 7.6% 81.6% $282

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Xiamen

$116 13.9% 10.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Xiamen

$69 8.2% 20.3% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Xiamen

$16 1.9% 72.6% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $342 in Xiamen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 348% 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 $24.00 in Xiamen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $216 per month, with Xiamen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Xiamen

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

15:04 3:04 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

3,531,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

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

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Xiamen 12,830 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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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 Xiamen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xiamen wins on cost – living expenses run 221% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Xiamen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 348% 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 $342 in Xiamen. 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 $842 in Xiamen – a 221% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Xiamen runs roughly 235% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $842 in Xiamen versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Xiamen but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Xiamen 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 Xiamen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 221% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.