Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putian and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Putian: $518 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Putian
Learn more

Putian Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Putian

🇨🇳 China

$518

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $518 in Putian versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Putian $518
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $854 in Putian versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Putian $854
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,190 in Putian versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Putian $1,190
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Putian costs roughly 81% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Putian is 62% below, Austin, TX is 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 ¥14.79

$20.63 $20.63

-89.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.26 ¥156

$84.6 $84.6

-72.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥34.57

$12.07 $12.07

-57.17%

Cappuccino

$2.44 ¥16.32

$5.48 $5.48

-55.47%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$3.80 $3.80

-88.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$2.47 $2.47

-88.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.16

$8.05 $8.05

-90.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ¥19.58

$8.88 $8.88

-67.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$1.11 $1.11

32.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$3.72 $3.72

-39.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$3.37 $3.37

-72.40%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.58

$4.32 $4.32

-63.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$13.13 $13.13

-10.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 ¥16.22

$14.15 $14.15

-82.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 ¥81.4

$16.33 $16.33

-25.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 ¥17.03

$4.55 $4.55

-43.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.49

$1.46 $1.46

-2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ¥11.34

$4.71 $4.71

-63.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ¥13.25

$4.15 $4.15

-52.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.79

$2.58 $2.58

-60.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.86

$2.35 $2.35

-24.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$1.77 $1.77

-47.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.36

$2.14 $2.14

-76.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.31

$10.10 $10.10

-69.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 ¥74.8

$15.19 $15.19

-26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.58

$2.82 $2.82

-70.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.44

$3.44 $3.44

-50.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 ¥4.92

$1.54 $1.54

-51.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.38 ¥150

$40.99 $40.99

-45.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$2.80 $2.80

-45.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$1.60 $1.60

-81.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.94

$34.34 $34.34

-79.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$0.94 $0.94

39.36%

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

$19.4K ¥129.8K

$34.0K $34.0K

-42.87%

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

$17.8K ¥118.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

-33.61%

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

$44.03 ¥294

$223 $223

-80.22%

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

$8.87 ¥59.3

$58.9 $58.9

-84.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.55 ¥70.6

$70.6 $70.6

-85.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 ¥67.4

$14.26 $14.26

-29.31%

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

$492 ¥3,286

$1,511 $1,511

-67.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.6K

$20.9K $20.9K

17.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.10 ¥261

$51.3 $51.3

-23.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 ¥195

$44.17 $44.17

-34.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ¥691

$87.0 $87.0

18.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 ¥573

$104 $104

-17.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 ¥17.6K

$7,354 $7,354

-64.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,115 ¥7,452

$3,129 $3,129

-64.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$480 ¥3,211

$5,286 $5,286

-90.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

6.79

-49.04%

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

Last update for Putian: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Putian

$215 41.6%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 88.5% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Putian

$116 22.4%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 11.5% $13

Eating Out

Putian

$75 14.5%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 366% $275

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Putian

$63 12.3%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 455% $289

Getting Around

Putian

$28 5.5%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 105% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Putian

$20 * 3.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 328% $66

Accommodation & Living

Putian

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 1001% 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: $23.00 in Putian vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $406 per month, with Putian cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Putian

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:35 4:35 AM

15:35 3:35 PM

13 h behind Putian

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,954,000

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

Putian Austin, TX 12,690 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Putian
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

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

Putian wins on cost – living expenses run 421% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Putian the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1001% 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.

All in, you'll spend $518 per month in Putian versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 421% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Putian runs roughly 83% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $518 in Putian versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Putian but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Putian 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 Putian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 421% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.