Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Zhenjiang

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhenjiang: $699 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,600 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Zhenjiang
Learn more

Zhenjiang Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Zhenjiang

🇨🇳 China

$699

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $699 in Zhenjiang.

Austin, TX $2,663
Zhenjiang $699

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,189 in Zhenjiang.

Austin, TX $4,133
Zhenjiang $1,189

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,678 in Zhenjiang.

Austin, TX $5,603
Zhenjiang $1,678

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 281% more expensive than in Zhenjiang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Zhenjiang is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.05 ¥20.41

580.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$30.22 ¥202

179.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.41 ¥29.43

179.37%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.64 ¥17.66

113.26%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.61 ¥4.09

509.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.35 ¥2.37

614.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.23 ¥8.22

554.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.18 ¥14.56

313.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.77 ¥11.86

-36.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.45 ¥9.71

158.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.93 ¥6.20

250.54%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.66 ¥11.10

151.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.39 ¥96.1

-10.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.07 ¥20.53

361.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$12.91 ¥86.2

25.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.81 ¥12.08

139.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.72 ¥11.50

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.75 ¥11.71

157.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.69 ¥11.28

156.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.81 ¥5.41

218.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.99 ¥6.59

137.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.47 ¥3.14

278.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.58 ¥3.89

282.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.70 ¥24.74

167.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.68 ¥71.3

41.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.88 ¥5.88

231.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.62 ¥10.86

113.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.15 ¥0.98

893.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$7.49 ¥50.0

457.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.47 ¥9.83

85.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.47 ¥3.13

253.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.38 ¥29.27

705.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.21 ¥8.11

-21.49%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$17.8K ¥118.9K

102.56%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$17.9K ¥119.6K

51.24%

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

$229 $229

$57.4 ¥383

299.15%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$8.18 ¥54.7

626.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$7.65 ¥51.1

813.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$45.06 ¥301

27.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$30.32 ¥203

-46.14%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$9.05 ¥60.5

57.79%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$440 ¥2,939

242.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$28.1K ¥187.5K

-23.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$44.54 ¥298

18.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$30.24 ¥202

44.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$68.2 ¥456

24.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$83.7 ¥559

23.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$228 ¥1,526

735.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$148 ¥990

759.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$515 ¥3,440

611.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$368 ¥2,461

589.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,037 ¥13.6K

273.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$914 ¥6,104

245.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$970 ¥6,483

427.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.36

102.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zhenjiang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Zhenjiang

$148 21.2% 88.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Zhenjiang

$217 31% 46.4% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Zhenjiang

$73 10.5% 79.6% $285

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Zhenjiang

$84 12% 76.3% $270

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Zhenjiang

$102 14.6% 20.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Zhenjiang

$63 9% 26.4% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Zhenjiang

$12 1.7% 79.8% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $228 in Zhenjiang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 428% 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 $30.00 in Zhenjiang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $217 per month, with Zhenjiang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Zhenjiang

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

19:05 7:05 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

3,210,418

💱 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 16, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Zhenjiang 12,040 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Zhenjiang

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 Zhenjiang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhenjiang wins on cost – living expenses run 281% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhenjiang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 428% 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 $228 in Zhenjiang. 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 $699 in Zhenjiang – a 281% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zhenjiang runs roughly 457% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $699 in Zhenjiang versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhenjiang but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Zhenjiang 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 Zhenjiang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 281% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.