Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lanzhou and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Lanzhou: $719 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Lanzhou
Learn more

Lanzhou Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Lanzhou

🇨🇳 China

$719

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $719 in Lanzhou versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Lanzhou $719
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,143 in Lanzhou versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Lanzhou $1,143
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,567 in Lanzhou versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Lanzhou $1,567
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Lanzhou costs roughly 73% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lanzhou is 47% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ¥13.80

$20.77 $20.77

-90.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.34 ¥189

$84.6 $84.6

-66.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 ¥39.15

$12.32 $12.32

-52.44%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥20.89

$5.63 $5.63

-44.58%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$3.72 $3.72

-87.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$2.50 $2.50

-88.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ¥7.35

$8.05 $8.05

-86.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$9.01 $9.01

-77.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥11.81

$1.12 $1.12

58.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.75

$3.75 $3.75

-57.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.40

$3.26 $3.26

-70.55%

Eggs

$1.60 ¥10.72

$4.17 $4.17

-61.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 ¥88.4

$12.90 $12.90

2.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ¥22.92

$14.16 $14.16

-75.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 ¥81.0

$16.22 $16.22

-25.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$4.33 $4.33

-58.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.56

$1.46 $1.46

-12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.97

$4.51 $4.51

-66.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.32

$4.34 $4.34

-71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.70

$2.58 $2.58

-72.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.35 $2.35

-60.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$1.78 $1.78

-66.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.70

$2.22 $2.22

-75.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.19

$9.88 $9.88

-61.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.52 ¥77.0

$15.08 $15.08

-23.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.52

$2.92 $2.92

-71.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ¥10.25

$3.46 $3.46

-55.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$1.49 $1.49

-80.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.07 ¥121

$41.72 $41.72

-56.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$2.73 $2.73

-45.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ¥2.17

$1.66 $1.66

-80.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.12 ¥47.58

$35.30 $35.30

-79.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.73

$0.95 $0.95

53.68%

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

$17.5K ¥117.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

-51.37%

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

$15.0K ¥100.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

-44.56%

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

$58.0 ¥388

$229 $229

-74.67%

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

$8.79 ¥58.8

$59.4 $59.4

-85.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.18 ¥74.8

$69.9 $69.9

-84.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.33 ¥283

$57.2 $57.2

-26.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.69 ¥98.2

$16.33 $16.33

-10.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 ¥42.06

$14.28 $14.28

-55.95%

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

$412 ¥2,756

$1,506 $1,506

-72.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K ¥117.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

-18.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.85 ¥287

$52.8 $52.8

-18.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 ¥224

$43.82 $43.82

-23.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ¥505

$84.8 $84.8

-10.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.1 ¥495

$103 $103

-28.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 ¥1,971

$1,907 $1,907

-84.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ¥1,126

$1,274 $1,274

-86.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ¥4,186

$3,664 $3,664

-82.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ¥1,986

$2,538 $2,538

-88.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 ¥17.9K

$7,614 $7,614

-64.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,611 ¥10.8K

$3,157 $3,157

-48.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$953 ¥6,375

$5,121 $5,121

-81.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-55.82%

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

Last update for Lanzhou: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lanzhou

$209 29.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 93.3% $195

Accommodation & Living

Lanzhou

$168 23.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 656% $1.1K

Clothing & Footwear

Lanzhou

$102 14.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 25.9% $26

Eating Out

Lanzhou

$84 11.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 320% $270

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lanzhou

$78 10.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 360% $280

Sport & Entertainment

Lanzhou

$55 7.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 56.2% $31

Getting Around

Lanzhou

$22 3.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 163% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $295 in Lanzhou and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 437% 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: $28.00 in Lanzhou vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $405 per month, with Lanzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Lanzhou

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

02:36 2:36 AM

13 h behind Lanzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,688,400

974,447

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lanzhou Austin, TX 12,300 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Lanzhou
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

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

Lanzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 271% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lanzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 437% 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: $295 in Lanzhou versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $719 per month in Lanzhou versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 271% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lanzhou runs roughly 131% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $719 in Lanzhou versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lanzhou but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lanzhou 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 Lanzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 271% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.