Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guangzhou (Canton) and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Guangzhou (Canton): $924 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Guangzhou (Canton)
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Guangzhou (Canton) Living Index
129

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

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Guangzhou (Canton)

🇨🇳 China

$924

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $924 in Guangzhou (Canton) versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Guangzhou (Canton) $924
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,438 in Guangzhou (Canton) versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Guangzhou (Canton) $1,438
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,953 in Guangzhou (Canton) versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Guangzhou (Canton) $1,953
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Guangzhou (Canton) 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: Guangzhou (Canton) is 31% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 ¥20.21

$20.22 $20.22

-85.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.67 ¥198

$85.0 $85.0

-65.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 ¥35.53

$12.35 $12.35

-56.92%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.83

$5.47 $5.47

-45.70%

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

$0.58 ¥3.89

$3.82 $3.82

-84.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$2.50 $2.50

-85.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.79

$8.06 $8.06

-85.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ¥18.41

$8.99 $8.99

-69.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ¥12.75

$1.13 $1.13

69.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ¥12.23

$3.78 $3.78

-51.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.30

$3.25 $3.25

-66.46%

Eggs

$1.52 ¥10.14

$4.14 $4.14

-63.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.76 ¥112

$13.08 $13.08

28.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 ¥33.07

$14.31 $14.31

-65.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.20 ¥81.5

$15.96 $15.96

-23.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥15.04

$4.38 $4.38

-48.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.19

$1.45 $1.45

-15.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$4.54 $4.54

-67.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.89

$4.19 $4.19

-57.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.86

$2.63 $2.63

-60.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$2.36 $2.36

-50.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$1.76 $1.76

-52.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ¥4.33

$2.16 $2.16

-69.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥25.93

$9.81 $9.81

-60.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 ¥72.5

$14.72 $14.72

-26.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ¥7.05

$2.78 $2.78

-62.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$3.48 $3.48

-45.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.11

$1.49 $1.49

-68.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.21 ¥148

$40.51 $40.51

-45.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ¥12.23

$2.67 $2.67

-31.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ¥2.69

$1.58 $1.58

-74.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.90

$35.29 $35.29

-80.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$0.99 $0.99

32.32%

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

$19.2K ¥128.2K

$35.8K $35.8K

-46.40%

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

$17.6K ¥117.5K

$27.2K $27.2K

-35.28%

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

$60.0 ¥401

$219 $219

-72.62%

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

$16.00 ¥107

$58.0 $58.0

-72.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.46 ¥96.6

$68.4 $68.4

-78.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ¥460

$57.9 $57.9

18.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.04 ¥80.4

$14.82 $14.82

-18.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ¥43.94

$14.13 $14.13

-53.50%

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

$1,471 ¥9,831

$1,509 $1,509

-2.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.5K

$21.5K $21.5K

12.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.75 ¥326

$51.7 $51.7

-5.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.61 ¥278

$44.05 $44.05

-5.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ¥545

$85.1 $85.1

-4.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.4 ¥471

$105 $105

-33.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 ¥3,623

$1,932 $1,932

-71.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ¥1,842

$1,272 $1,272

-78.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 ¥8,974

$3,670 $3,670

-63.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 ¥3,157

$2,525 $2,525

-81.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,553 ¥57.2K

$7,617 $7,617

12.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,459 ¥23.1K

$3,199 $3,199

8.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,265 ¥8,452

$5,105 $5,105

-75.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

6.79

-49.93%

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

Last update for Guangzhou (Canton): October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guangzhou (Canton)

$276 30.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 362% $997

Groceries & Markets

Guangzhou (Canton)

$240 26.2%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 67.8% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Guangzhou (Canton)

$109 11.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 18.1% $20

Eating Out

Guangzhou (Canton)

$91 9.9%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 283% $257

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guangzhou (Canton)

$90 9.9%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 282% $255

Sport & Entertainment

Guangzhou (Canton)

$82 9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 5% $4.1

Getting Around

Guangzhou (Canton)

$28 3.1%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 104% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $542 in Guangzhou (Canton) and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 304% 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: $30.00 in Guangzhou (Canton) vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $403 per month, with Guangzhou (Canton) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Guangzhou (Canton)

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

08:48 8:48 AM

13 h behind Guangzhou (Canton)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,043,500

974,447

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Guangzhou (Canton) Austin, TX 13,220 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Guangzhou (Canton)
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

Guangzhou (Canton) vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guangzhou (Canton) wins on cost – living expenses run 193% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guangzhou (Canton) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 304% 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: $542 in Guangzhou (Canton) versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $924 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 193% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Guangzhou (Canton) runs roughly 82% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $924 in Guangzhou (Canton) versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Guangzhou (Canton) but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Guangzhou (Canton) 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 Guangzhou (Canton) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 193% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.