Cost of Living Comparison Between Austria and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Austria and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,267 in Austria versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,343 in Austria versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,418 in Austria versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Austria is roughly 218% more expensive than China on average.

Austria (69% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Austria ($1,800–$2,657) and China ($535–$1,206) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 €14.98

$2.86 ¥19.36

508.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 €70.4

$23.29 ¥158

250.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.88

$4.83 ¥32.66

137.27%

Cappuccino

$4.34 €3.74

$3.04 ¥20.52

42.76%

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

$3.75 €3.23

$0.45 ¥3.03

733.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.27 ¥1.81

1003.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €4.84

$0.99 ¥6.71

467.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 €4.41

$2.03 ¥13.74

152.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.43

$1.75 ¥11.86

-5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 €2.53

$1.67 ¥11.31

75.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 €2.35

$0.97 ¥6.56

180.41%

Eggs

$4.56 €3.93

$1.54 ¥10.45

196.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.84 €16.23

$13.30 ¥89.9

41.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.19 €13.09

$3.21 ¥21.69

373.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.48 €20.23

$10.79 ¥73.0

117.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$1.81 ¥12.27

62.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.31 ¥8.84

78.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.67

$1.50 ¥10.15

106.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 €3.87

$1.14 ¥7.74

293.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.86

$0.73 ¥4.90

194.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.87 ¥5.86

129.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 €1.65

$0.57 ¥3.85

235.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.54 ¥3.63

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.62 €6.57

$3.53 ¥23.88

115.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.96 €7.72

$11.71 ¥79.2

-23.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.27

$0.84 ¥5.67

76.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.67 ¥11.29

16.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.45

$0.41 ¥2.75

592.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 €51.2

$20.78 ¥141

185.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 €4.89

$1.36 ¥9.21

317.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.76

$0.33 ¥2.21

518.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.41 €29.65

$6.86 ¥46.40

401.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.12 ¥7.57

57.14%

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

$29.6K €25.5K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

54.33%

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

$30.8K €26.6K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

82.10%

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

$379 €326

$51.8 ¥350

630.84%

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

$20.36 €17.54

$9.85 ¥66.6

106.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.64 €35.02

$11.13 ¥75.3

265.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.17 €40.65

$39.10 ¥264

20.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.02 €22.42

$14.89 ¥101

74.75%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 €11.83

$6.25 ¥42.24

119.68%

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

$374 €322

$404 ¥2,732

-7.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-15.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.6

$46.11 ¥312

123.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.16 €38.91

$32.27 ¥218

39.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.5

$72.7 ¥491

41.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €121

$72.9 ¥493

93.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 €868

$445 ¥3,009

126.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 €698

$255 ¥1,727

217.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 €1,570

$927 ¥6,266

96.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 €1,214

$532 ¥3,600

164.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,263 €6,258

$4,943 ¥33.4K

46.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,937 €4,253

$2,492 ¥16.9K

98.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,110 €2,679

$1,057 ¥7,148

194.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

4.06

-8.37%

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

Last update for Austria: June 9, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $915 in Austria, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,274 in Vienna vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,947 in Austria, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 220% higher in Austria.

Dining out costs 276% more in Austria.

Public transport is 222% more expensive in Austria.

Salaries are 242% higher in Austria.

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

Austria vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,229 per month in Austria and $871 in China, there's a 156% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Austria beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Austria, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; Austria may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.