Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chang-hua and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Chang-hua: $864 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chang-hua
🇹🇼 Taiwan
$864
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chang-hua and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chang-hua and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $864 in Chang-hua versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

  • Chang-hua $864
  • Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,343 in Chang-hua versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Chang-hua $1,343
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,822 in Chang-hua versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

  • Chang-hua $1,822
  • Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Chang-hua costs roughly 68% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chang-hua is 36% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chang-hua
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.83 NT$124
$20.77 $20.77
-81.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.76 NT$1,062
$84.6 $84.6
-61.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 NT$179
$12.32 $12.32
-55.11%
Cappuccino
$1.63 NT$52.7
$5.63 $5.63
-71.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.96 NT$30.99
$3.72 $3.72
-74.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 NT$18.01
$2.50 $2.50
-77.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.36 NT$44.21
$8.05 $8.05
-83.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 NT$70.3
$9.01 $9.01
-75.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chang-hua
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.38 NT$77.1
$1.12 $1.12
112.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 NT$67.2
$3.75 $3.75
-44.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.94 NT$95.5
$3.26 $3.26
-9.82%
Eggs
$2.76 NT$89.5
$4.17 $4.17
-33.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.19 NT$525
$12.90 $12.90
25.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.51 NT$308
$14.16 $14.16
-32.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.23 NT$688
$16.22 $16.22
30.89%
Apples (1kg)
$4.82 NT$156
$4.33 $4.33
11.32%
Banana (1kg)
$3.38 NT$110
$1.46 $1.46
131.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.93 NT$95.1
$4.51 $4.51
-35.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.17 NT$103
$4.34 $4.34
-26.96%
Potato (1kg)
$2.77 NT$89.8
$2.58 $2.58
7.36%
Onion (1kg)
$2.11 NT$68.4
$2.35 $2.35
-10.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.69 NT$54.9
$1.78 $1.78
-5.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 NT$24.97
$2.22 $2.22
-65.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 NT$128
$9.88 $9.88
-59.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.43 NT$306
$15.08 $15.08
-37.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 NT$44.70
$2.92 $2.92
-52.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 NT$74.4
$3.46 $3.46
-33.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Chang-hua
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.55 NT$50.4
$1.49 $1.49
4.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.80 NT$1,129
$41.72 $41.72
-16.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.65 NT$85.9
$2.73 $2.73
-2.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.76 NT$24.71
$1.66 $1.66
-54.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.29 NT$301
$35.30 $35.30
-73.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 NT$34.39
$0.95 $0.95
11.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1K NT$1.1M
$36.0K $36.0K
-8.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K NT$787.5K
$27.1K $27.1K
-10.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chang-hua
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$31.62 NT$1,025
$229 $229
-86.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.99 NT$551
$59.4 $59.4
-71.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.71 NT$607
$69.9 $69.9
-73.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chang-hua
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.75 NT$1,029
$57.2 $57.2
-44.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.33 $16.33
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.38 NT$304
$14.28 $14.28
-34.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chang-hua
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$636 NT$20.6K
$1,506 $1,506
-57.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,946 NT$257.7K
$21.5K $21.5K
-62.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chang-hua
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.35 NT$1,600
$52.8 $52.8
-6.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$15.47 NT$502
$43.82 $43.82
-64.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.1 NT$2,534
$84.8 $84.8
-7.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$49.57 NT$1,607
$103 $103
-51.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chang-hua
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$252 NT$8,160
$1,907 $1,907
-86.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$170 NT$5,528
$1,274 $1,274
-86.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$509 NT$16.5K
$3,664 $3,664
-86.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$169 NT$5,480
$2,538 $2,538
-93.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,959 NT$96.0K
$7,614 $7,614
-61.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,631 NT$52.9K
$3,157 $3,157
-48.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chang-hua
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,011 NT$65.2K
$5,121 $5,121
-60.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.2
6.79
-67.60%

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

Last update for Chang-hua: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Chang-hua
$358
Austin, TX
$405 13% $47
Accommodation & Living
Chang-hua
$170
Austin, TX
$1.3K 648% $1.1K
Clothing & Footwear
Chang-hua
$87
Austin, TX
$128 47.7% $41
Eating Out
Chang-hua
$84
Austin, TX
$354 322% $270
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chang-hua
$67
Austin, TX
$358 432% $291
Sport & Entertainment
Chang-hua
$51
Austin, TX
$86 69.9% $35
Getting Around
Chang-hua
$47
Austin, TX
$59 23.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $252 in Chang-hua and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 155% 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: $33.00 in Chang-hua vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $405 per month, with Chang-hua cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇼 Chang-hua
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
08:53 8:53 AM
19:53 7:53 PM
13 h behind Chang-hua
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
226,564
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chang-hua Austin, TX 12,720 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chang-hua
  • Austin, TX

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
Chang-hua vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chang-hua or Austin, TX?
Chang-hua wins on cost – living expenses run 208% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chang-hua the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Chang-hua or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 155% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Chang-hua compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $252 in Chang-hua versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Chang-hua compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $864 per month in Chang-hua versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 208% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Chang-hua compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Chang-hua runs roughly 20% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Chang-hua or in Austin, TX?
At $864 in Chang-hua versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chang-hua but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Chang-hua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chang-hua or Austin, TX?
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.
How safe is Chang-hua compared to Austin, TX?
Safety-wise, Chang-hua and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Chang-hua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 208% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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