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

Name: Austria
Address: AT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $2,258 in Austria.

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

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

Living in China costs about 68% less than in Austria on average.

China (47% below) and Austria (70% above) 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

$2.77 ¥18.71

$17.41 €15.07

-84.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.05 ¥162

$81.8 €70.8

-70.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥31.91

$11.40 €9.87

-58.51%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.77

$4.55 €3.94

-32.31%

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

$0.44 ¥2.99

$3.61 €3.13

-87.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.98

$2.95 €2.55

-90.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ¥6.80

$5.70 €4.93

-82.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥14.02

$5.15 €4.46

-59.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.38

$1.72 €1.49

6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$2.97 €2.57

-45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.58

$2.59 €2.25

-62.55%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.90

$4.56 €3.95

-64.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 ¥90.1

$18.88 €16.35

-29.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.74

$15.08 €13.06

-77.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 ¥72.1

$23.39 €20.25

-54.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.25

$2.96 €2.56

-38.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.43

$2.42 €2.10

-48.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

$3.05 €2.64

-52.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.73

$4.57 €3.95

-74.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$2.19 €1.90

-66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.99

$2.06 €1.79

-56.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.05

$1.89 €1.64

-68.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.58

$0.84 €0.72

-36.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥22.91

$7.59 €6.57

-55.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥79.2

$8.29 €7.18

41.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.22

$1.49 €1.29

-48.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.97

$2.00 €1.73

-18.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$2.92 €2.53

-85.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.24 ¥143

$60.1 €52.0

-64.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.12

$5.76 €4.99

-76.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$1.98 €1.72

-81.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.70 ¥45.23

$34.40 €29.79

-80.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.98

$1.81 €1.57

-34.81%

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

$19.8K ¥133.4K

$30.3K €26.2K

-34.72%

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

$16.5K ¥111.6K

$31.6K €27.4K

-47.72%

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

$51.7 ¥349

$388 €336

-86.65%

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

$10.09 ¥68.1

$20.77 €17.99

-51.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥76.8

$40.47 €35.05

-71.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.24 ¥265

$46.74 €40.48

-16.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 ¥100

$26.11 €22.61

-43.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 ¥42.53

$13.73 €11.89

-54.12%

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

$414 ¥2,793

$379 €328

9.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ¥117.5K

$15.0K €13.0K

16.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 ¥316

$104 €90.4

-55.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ¥223

$44.40 €38.45

-25.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ¥479

$102 €87.9

-30.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$141 €122

-47.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ¥2,971

$990 €858

-55.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ¥1,706

$799 €692

-68.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 ¥6,150

$1,789 €1,549

-49.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ¥3,582

$1,453 €1,258

-63.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,778 ¥32.3K

$7,389 €6,399

-35.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 ¥16.2K

$4,797 €4,154

-49.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ¥7,140

$2,991 €2,590

-64.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

3.72

9.14%

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

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Last update for Austria: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $857 in China, $2,926 in Austria. 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

China vs Austria: 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.