Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhangjiagang and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangjiagang: $740 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Zhangjiagang
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Zhangjiagang Living Index
130

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

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Zhangjiagang

🇨🇳 China

$740

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $740 in Zhangjiagang versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Zhangjiagang $740
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,149 in Zhangjiagang versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Zhangjiagang $1,149
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Zhangjiagang versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Zhangjiagang $1,558
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Zhangjiagang costs roughly 72% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zhangjiagang is 45% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.80 ¥25.43

$20.77 $20.77

-81.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.20 ¥148

$84.6 $84.6

-73.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥33.31

$12.32 $12.32

-59.58%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.32

$5.63 $5.63

-46.00%

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

$0.49 ¥3.29

$3.72 $3.72

-86.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$2.50 $2.50

-89.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ¥10.09

$8.05 $8.05

-81.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ¥14.84

$9.01 $9.01

-75.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ¥13.90

$1.12 $1.12

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 ¥13.95

$3.75 $3.75

-44.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.64

$3.26 $3.26

-74.23%

Eggs

$1.36 ¥9.09

$4.17 $4.17

-67.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.64 ¥71.1

$12.90 $12.90

-17.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.93 ¥19.60

$14.16 $14.16

-79.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.12 ¥61.0

$16.22 $16.22

-43.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ¥13.66

$4.33 $4.33

-52.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.64

$1.46 $1.46

-11.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.04

$4.51 $4.51

-60.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.39

$4.34 $4.34

-74.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 ¥5.99

$2.58 $2.58

-65.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.03

$2.35 $2.35

-61.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ¥5.80

$1.78 $1.78

-51.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.51

$2.22 $2.22

-76.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 ¥24.37

$9.88 $9.88

-63.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 ¥89.9

$15.08 $15.08

-10.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$2.92 $2.92

-67.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.44

$3.46 $3.46

-54.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ¥1.99

$1.49 $1.49

-79.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.58 ¥118

$41.72 $41.72

-57.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 ¥11.78

$2.73 $2.73

-35.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$1.66 $1.66

-76.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ¥58.6

$35.30 $35.30

-75.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.14

$0.95 $0.95

44.21%

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

$19.2K ¥128.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

-46.81%

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

$16.9K ¥112.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

-37.75%

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

$55.8 ¥373

$229 $229

-75.65%

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

$7.76 ¥51.9

$59.4 $59.4

-86.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.32 ¥48.98

$69.9 $69.9

-89.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.15 ¥242

$57.2 $57.2

-36.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 ¥107

$16.33 $16.33

-1.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 ¥40.61

$14.28 $14.28

-57.49%

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

$418 ¥2,794

$1,506 $1,506

-72.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ¥149.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

4.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.99 ¥288

$52.8 $52.8

-18.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.04 ¥228

$43.82 $43.82

-22.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 ¥439

$84.8 $84.8

-22.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ¥592

$103 $103

-14.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,869

$1,907 $1,907

-85.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 ¥1,295

$1,274 $1,274

-84.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 ¥4,809

$3,664 $3,664

-80.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ¥2,168

$2,538 $2,538

-87.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,266 ¥21.8K

$7,614 $7,614

-57.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,685 ¥11.3K

$3,157 $3,157

-46.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

6.79

-49.63%

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

Last update for Zhangjiagang: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhangjiagang

$204 27.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 98.3% $201

Accommodation & Living

Zhangjiagang

$194 26.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 558% $1.1K

Clothing & Footwear

Zhangjiagang

$104 14.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 23% $24

Eating Out

Zhangjiagang

$97 13.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 265% $257

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhangjiagang

$71 9.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 406% $287

Sport & Entertainment

Zhangjiagang

$48 6.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 77.7% $38

Getting Around

Zhangjiagang

$22 3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 161% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Zhangjiagang and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Zhangjiagang vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $405 per month, with Zhangjiagang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhangjiagang

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

03:59 3:59 AM

13 h behind Zhangjiagang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,432,044

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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Zhangjiagang Austin, TX 12,010 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhangjiagang
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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

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

Zhangjiagang wins on cost – living expenses run 260% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhangjiagang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,110 in Zhangjiagang 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: $280 in Zhangjiagang 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 $740 per month in Zhangjiagang versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 260% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zhangjiagang runs roughly 137% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $740 in Zhangjiagang versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhangjiagang but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 260% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.