Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: $707 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
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Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu Living Index
130

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

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Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🇨🇳 China

$707

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $707 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $707
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,185 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,185
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,663 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,663
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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: Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu is 48% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.83 ¥25.64

$20.77 $20.77

-81.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.02 ¥174

$84.6 $84.6

-69.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.57 ¥30.58

$12.32 $12.32

-62.91%

Cappuccino

$3.17 ¥21.21

$5.63 $5.63

-43.69%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$3.72 $3.72

-87.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.04

$2.50 $2.50

-87.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$8.05 $8.05

-88.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ¥9.80

$9.01 $9.01

-83.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.98

$1.12 $1.12

59.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ¥7.91

$3.75 $3.75

-68.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$3.26 $3.26

-73.31%

Eggs

$2.07 ¥13.85

$4.17 $4.17

-50.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ¥131

$12.90 $12.90

51.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 ¥24.70

$14.16 $14.16

-73.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.16 ¥41.17

$16.22 $16.22

-62.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 ¥15.56

$4.33 $4.33

-46.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.25

$1.46 $1.46

-5.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.81

$4.51 $4.51

-67.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$4.34 $4.34

-69.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.79

$2.58 $2.58

-66.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.77

$2.35 $2.35

-63.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.18

$1.78 $1.78

-65.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.60

$2.22 $2.22

-75.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ¥23.90

$9.88 $9.88

-63.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 ¥89.3

$15.08 $15.08

-11.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥5.01

$2.92 $2.92

-74.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥9.68

$3.46 $3.46

-58.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.49 $1.49

-79.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.88 ¥133

$41.72 $41.72

-52.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 ¥13.20

$2.73 $2.73

-27.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$1.66 $1.66

-77.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 ¥47.00

$35.30 $35.30

-80.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥8.12

$0.95 $0.95

27.37%

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

$18.1K ¥121.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

-49.72%

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

$17.9K ¥119.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

-33.88%

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

$18.76 ¥125

$229 $229

-91.81%

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

$10.11 ¥67.6

$59.4 $59.4

-82.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥74.0

$69.9 $69.9

-84.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 ¥407

$57.2 $57.2

6.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.34 ¥109

$16.33 $16.33

0.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 ¥49.80

$14.28 $14.28

-47.83%

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

$301 ¥2,015

$1,506 $1,506

-79.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥118.8K

$21.5K $21.5K

-17.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.01 ¥301

$52.8 $52.8

-14.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.36 ¥277

$43.82 $43.82

-5.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.5 ¥404

$84.8 $84.8

-28.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.6 ¥392

$103 $103

-43.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$256 ¥1,715

$1,907 $1,907

-86.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 ¥1,105

$1,274 $1,274

-87.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$631 ¥4,217

$3,664 $3,664

-82.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ¥2,535

$2,538 $2,538

-85.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,912 ¥19.5K

$7,614 $7,614

-61.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,953 ¥13.1K

$3,157 $3,157

-38.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

6.79

-48.45%

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

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: 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

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$216 30.5%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 87.3% $189

Accommodation & Living

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$165 23.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 671% $1.1K

Eating Out

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$93 13.2%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 280% $261

Clothing & Footwear

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$92 13.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 38.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$76 10.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 13.3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$40 5.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 797% $318

Getting Around

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$25 3.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 135% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $256 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $405 per month, with Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:35 5:35 PM

04:35 4:35 AM

13 h behind Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

831,113

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

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu Austin, TX 12,020 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
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

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu wins on cost – living expenses run 276% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,061 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and $3,995 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $256 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 $707 per month in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 276% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu runs roughly 110% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $707 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 276% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.