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: $2,269 in Austria versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,339 in Austria versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,409 in Austria versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Austria is roughly 219% more expensive than China on average.

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

Internal cost variation is higher in Austria: monthly costs span $1,772 to $2,729, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in Austria.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 €14.98

$2.75 ¥18.83

536.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 €69.1

$24.03 ¥165

235.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 €9.88

$4.96 ¥33.95

132.66%

Cappuccino

$4.56 €3.91

$3.12 ¥21.37

46.15%

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

$3.78 €3.23

$0.48 ¥3.26

687.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 €2.52

$0.27 ¥1.84

992.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €4.82

$0.98 ¥6.73

474.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 €4.56

$2.15 ¥14.69

147.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.83 ¥12.53

-9.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 €2.43

$1.68 ¥11.54

68.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 €2.34

$0.91 ¥6.21

200.00%

Eggs

$4.64 €3.98

$1.56 ¥10.66

197.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.08 €16.34

$12.97 ¥88.9

47.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.97 €12.82

$3.25 ¥22.23

360.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.80 €20.37

$10.51 ¥72.0

126.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 €2.45

$1.81 ¥12.41

58.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.04

$1.30 ¥8.90

83.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 €2.64

$1.50 ¥10.26

105.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 €3.97

$1.15 ¥7.87

303.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.85

$0.76 ¥5.20

184.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.79

$0.89 ¥6.07

134.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.58 ¥3.97

222.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.58 ¥3.95

56.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.28

$3.50 ¥23.95

109.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 €6.94

$11.55 ¥79.1

-29.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.78 ¥5.31

84.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.61 ¥11.03

24.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.52

$0.44 ¥3.01

568.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.3 €49.90

$21.15 ¥145

175.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 €4.93

$1.36 ¥9.35

323.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.36 ¥2.44

447.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.22 €30.15

$6.61 ¥45.28

432.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.13 ¥7.74

54.87%

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

$29.8K €25.5K

$19.7K ¥135.2K

51.14%

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

$31.0K €26.5K

$17.1K ¥117.0K

81.41%

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

$376 €322

$50.9 ¥349

638.17%

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

$20.72 €17.74

$10.03 ¥68.7

106.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.96 €34.20

$11.33 ¥77.6

252.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.17 €39.52

$40.13 ¥275

15.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.91 €22.18

$14.97 ¥103

73.08%

Cinema Ticket

$14.12 €12.08

$6.09 ¥41.74

131.86%

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

$380 €326

$418 ¥2,860

-8.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €12.8K

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-13.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €86.5

$46.40 ¥318

117.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.92 €38.45

$32.92 ¥226

36.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.8

$71.1 ¥487

47.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €121

$72.9 ¥499

93.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 €876

$438 ¥3,003

133.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$798 €683

$259 ¥1,775

208.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 €1,531

$926 ¥6,341

93.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 €1,228

$548 ¥3,754

161.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,187 €6,152

$5,047 ¥34.6K

42.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,977 €4,260

$2,666 ¥18.3K

86.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,107 €2,660

$1,074 ¥7,357

189.33%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $916 in Austria, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,259 in Vienna vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,986 in Austria, $834 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 271% more in Austria.

Public transport is 222% more expensive in Austria.

Salaries are 258% higher in Austria, giving Austria stronger purchasing power.

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 $2,251 per month in Austria and $873 in China, there's a 158% 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.