Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Zhoushan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhoushan: $620 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Zhoushan
Learn more

Zhoushan Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Zhoushan

🇨🇳 China

$620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $620 in Zhoushan.

Austin, TX $2,663
Zhoushan $620

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,005 in Zhoushan.

Austin, TX $4,133
Zhoushan $1,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,390 in Zhoushan.

Austin, TX $5,603
Zhoushan $1,390

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 330% more expensive than in Zhoushan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Zhoushan is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.39 ¥22.63

512.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$19.03 ¥127

344.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.07 ¥27.24

202.70%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.95 ¥19.74

90.85%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.46 ¥3.10

708.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.25 ¥1.66

900.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$0.77 ¥5.15

945.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.84 ¥12.32

389.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.83 ¥12.26

-38.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.07 ¥13.87

81.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.89 ¥5.95

266.29%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.06 ¥7.07

293.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.35 ¥89.2

-3.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.51 ¥23.45

303.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.96 ¥73.3

47.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.53 ¥10.26

183.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.22 ¥8.17

19.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.45 ¥9.72

211.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.22 ¥8.13

255.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.58 ¥3.88

344.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.81 ¥5.42

190.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.63 ¥4.23

182.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.58 ¥3.90

282.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.30 ¥35.45

86.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$11.80 ¥78.9

27.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.88 ¥5.89

231.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.14 ¥14.34

61.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.31 ¥2.10

380.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$15.13 ¥101

175.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.45 ¥9.71

88.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.42 ¥2.81

295.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$8.91 ¥59.6

296.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.22 ¥8.13

-22.13%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$19.4K ¥129.8K

85.75%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$16.4K ¥109.7K

65.02%

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

$229 $229

$36.17 ¥242

533.09%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$11.52 ¥77.0

415.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$27.25 ¥182

156.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$25.31 ¥169

126.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$7.45 ¥49.79

119.19%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.85 ¥39.10

144.10%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$440 ¥2,942

242.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.3K ¥108.7K

31.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$34.64 ¥232

52.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$21.10 ¥141

107.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$65.4 ¥437

29.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$44.10 ¥295

133.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$329 ¥2,197

480.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$119 ¥797

968.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$745 ¥4,979

392.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$273 ¥1,827

828.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,953 ¥19.7K

157.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,009 ¥13.4K

57.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$589 ¥3,935

770.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.13

116.93%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zhoushan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Zhoushan

$119 19.2% 90.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Zhoushan

$209 33.8% 48.2% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Zhoushan

$75 12.1% 79.1% $283

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Zhoushan

$85 13.7% 75.9% $269

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Zhoushan

$74 12% 41.9% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Zhoushan

$37 6% 56.9% $49

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Zhoushan

$20 3.2% 66% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $329 in Zhoushan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 770% 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 $19.00 in Zhoushan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $209 per month, with Zhoushan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇳 Zhoushan

🕒 Local time

01:26 1:26 AM

14:26 2:26 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,157,817

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Zhoushan 12,090 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Zhoushan

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 Zhoushan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhoushan wins on cost – living expenses run 330% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhoushan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 770% 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 $329 in Zhoushan. 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 $620 in Zhoushan – a 330% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zhoushan runs roughly 176% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $620 in Zhoushan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhoushan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Zhoushan 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 Zhoushan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 330% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.