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: $2,258 in Austria versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Austria versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,400 in Austria versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Austria is roughly 217% more expensive than in China on average.

Austria (70% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Austria: monthly costs span $1,752 to $2,648, compared to $533–$1,212 in China. City choice carries more weight in Austria.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 €15.07

$2.77 ¥18.71

528.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 €70.8

$24.05 ¥162

240.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €9.87

$4.73 ¥31.91

141.01%

Cappuccino

$4.55 €3.94

$3.08 ¥20.77

47.73%

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

$3.61 €3.13

$0.44 ¥2.99

720.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 €2.55

$0.29 ¥1.98

917.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €4.93

$1.01 ¥6.80

464.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 €4.46

$2.08 ¥14.02

147.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.49

$1.83 ¥12.38

-6.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 €2.57

$1.62 ¥10.94

83.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 €2.25

$0.97 ¥6.58

167.01%

Eggs

$4.56 €3.95

$1.61 ¥10.90

183.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.88 €16.35

$13.34 ¥90.1

41.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.08 €13.06

$3.37 ¥22.74

347.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.39 €20.25

$10.68 ¥72.1

119.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.56

$1.81 ¥12.25

63.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.10

$1.25 ¥8.43

93.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 €2.64

$1.46 ¥9.88

108.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 €3.95

$1.15 ¥7.73

297.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.90

$0.73 ¥4.91

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.89 ¥5.99

131.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 €1.64

$0.60 ¥4.05

215.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.53 ¥3.58

58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.59 €6.57

$3.39 ¥22.91

123.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.18

$11.73 ¥79.2

-29.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.77 ¥5.22

93.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.73

$1.63 ¥10.97

22.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$0.41 ¥2.77

612.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 €52.0

$21.24 ¥143

182.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 €4.99

$1.35 ¥9.12

326.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 €1.72

$0.36 ¥2.40

450.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.40 €29.79

$6.70 ¥45.23

413.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.18 ¥7.98

53.39%

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

$30.3K €26.2K

$19.8K ¥133.4K

53.18%

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

$31.6K €27.4K

$16.5K ¥111.6K

91.26%

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

$388 €336

$51.7 ¥349

648.98%

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

$20.77 €17.99

$10.09 ¥68.1

105.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.47 €35.05

$11.38 ¥76.8

255.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.74 €40.48

$39.24 ¥265

19.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.11 €22.61

$14.84 ¥100

75.94%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 €11.89

$6.30 ¥42.53

117.94%

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

$379 €328

$414 ¥2,793

-8.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$17.4K ¥117.5K

-13.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.4

$46.77 ¥316

123.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.40 €38.45

$33.08 ¥223

34.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$70.9 ¥479

43.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €122

$74.5 ¥503

89.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 €858

$440 ¥2,971

125.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$799 €692

$253 ¥1,706

216.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 €1,549

$911 ¥6,150

96.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 €1,258

$531 ¥3,582

173.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,389 €6,399

$4,778 ¥32.3K

54.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,797 €4,154

$2,403 ¥16.2K

99.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,991 €2,590

$1,058 ¥7,140

182.73%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $913 in Austria, $287 in China. Capital cities: $1,260 in Vienna vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,926 in Austria, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 218% higher in Austria.

Dining out costs 271% more in Austria.

Public transport is 222% more expensive in Austria.

Salaries are 241% 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 $2,200 per month in Austria and $873 in China, there's a 152% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.