Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changchun and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Changchun: $912 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Changchun
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Changchun Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Changchun

🇨🇳 China

$912

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Changchun 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 Changchun and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $912 in Changchun versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Changchun $912
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,335 in Changchun versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Changchun $1,335
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,757 in Changchun versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Changchun $1,757
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Changchun costs roughly 66% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Changchun is 32% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ¥19.71

$20.77 $20.77

-85.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.24 ¥149

$84.6 $84.6

-73.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 ¥34.69

$12.32 $12.32

-57.87%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ¥16.66

$5.63 $5.63

-55.77%

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

$0.48 ¥3.20

$3.72 $3.72

-87.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$2.50 $2.50

-88.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.82

$8.05 $8.05

-85.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$9.01 $9.01

-79.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ¥12.70

$1.12 $1.12

69.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ¥8.16

$3.75 $3.75

-67.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$3.26 $3.26

-55.52%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥12.33

$4.17 $4.17

-55.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$34.91 ¥233

$12.90 $12.90

170.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 ¥39.33

$14.16 $14.16

-58.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 ¥70.6

$16.22 $16.22

-34.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 ¥11.44

$4.33 $4.33

-60.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.79

$1.46 $1.46

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.88

$4.51 $4.51

-60.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.68

$4.34 $4.34

-56.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.87

$2.58 $2.58

-65.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$1.78 $1.78

-65.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.89

$2.22 $2.22

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 ¥24.44

$9.88 $9.88

-63.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.59 ¥138

$15.08 $15.08

36.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.92 $2.92

-68.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$3.46 $3.46

-67.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.92

$1.49 $1.49

-70.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$2.73 $2.73

-54.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.11

$1.66 $1.66

-81.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ¥19.57

$35.30 $35.30

-91.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.30

$0.95 $0.95

30.53%

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

$19.6K ¥130.9K

$36.0K $36.0K

-45.68%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

-33.68%

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

$75.1 ¥502

$229 $229

-67.20%

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

$4.52 ¥30.24

$59.4 $59.4

-92.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.87 ¥99.5

$69.9 $69.9

-78.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.44 ¥257

$57.2 $57.2

-32.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.21 ¥28.18

$16.33 $16.33

-74.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 ¥45.91

$14.28 $14.28

-51.96%

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

$546 ¥3,650

$1,506 $1,506

-63.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K ¥143.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

-0.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 ¥496

$52.8 $52.8

40.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 ¥303

$43.82 $43.82

3.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 ¥407

$84.8 $84.8

-28.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ¥475

$103 $103

-31.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 ¥1,459

$1,907 $1,907

-88.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 ¥1,679

$1,274 $1,274

-80.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 ¥3,847

$3,664 $3,664

-84.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ¥2,073

$2,538 $2,538

-87.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,661 ¥11.1K

$7,614 $7,614

-78.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,015 ¥6,789

$3,157 $3,157

-67.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 ¥6,451

$5,121 $5,121

-81.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

6.79

-35.64%

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

Last update for Changchun: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changchun

$315 * 34.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 28.4% $90

Accommodation & Living

Changchun

$251 27.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 408% $1K

Clothing & Footwear

Changchun

$113 12.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 13.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changchun

$95 10.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 279% $264

Eating Out

Changchun

$82 9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 334% $272

Sport & Entertainment

Changchun

$52 5.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 64.4% $34

Getting Around

Changchun

$4.6 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 1190% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $218 in Changchun and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 431% 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: $22.00 in Changchun vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $405 per month, with Changchun cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changchun

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

13:07 1:07 PM

00:07 12:07 AM

13 h behind Changchun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,066,906

974,447

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Changchun Austin, TX 10,680 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Changchun
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

Changchun vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changchun wins on cost – living expenses run 192% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Changchun the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 431% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $218 in Changchun versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $546 in Changchun versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Changchun – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $912 in Changchun versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changchun but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Changchun 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 Changchun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 192% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.