Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhengzhou and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhengzhou: $683 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Zhengzhou
Learn more

Zhengzhou Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Zhengzhou

🇨🇳 China

$683

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $683 in Zhengzhou versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Zhengzhou $683
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,088 in Zhengzhou versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Zhengzhou $1,088
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,492 in Zhengzhou versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Zhengzhou $1,492
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Zhengzhou costs roughly 74% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zhengzhou is 49% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.17 ¥14.54

$20.77 $20.77

-89.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.72 ¥112

$84.6 $84.6

-80.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.57 ¥30.54

$12.32 $12.32

-62.91%

Cappuccino

$2.41 ¥16.13

$5.63 $5.63

-57.19%

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

$0.57 ¥3.80

$3.72 $3.72

-84.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$2.50 $2.50

-88.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.90

$8.05 $8.05

-89.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$9.01 $9.01

-81.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.60

$1.12 $1.12

55.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 ¥11.42

$3.75 $3.75

-54.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.92

$3.26 $3.26

-72.70%

Eggs

$0.98 ¥6.58

$4.17 $4.17

-76.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 ¥55.2

$12.90 $12.90

-35.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 ¥21.15

$14.16 $14.16

-77.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.52 ¥70.3

$16.22 $16.22

-35.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.97

$4.33 $4.33

-65.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.93

$1.46 $1.46

-28.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.15

$4.51 $4.51

-76.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.81

$4.34 $4.34

-73.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$2.58 $2.58

-74.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$2.35 $2.35

-68.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.50

$1.78 $1.78

-62.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥4.77

$2.22 $2.22

-68.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ¥22.15

$9.88 $9.88

-66.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 ¥98.6

$15.08 $15.08

-2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.32

$2.92 $2.92

-67.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥14.02

$3.46 $3.46

-39.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 ¥0.90

$1.49 $1.49

-91.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.89 ¥99.6

$41.72 $41.72

-64.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.75

$2.73 $2.73

-46.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$1.66 $1.66

-81.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 ¥23.67

$35.30 $35.30

-89.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.52

$0.95 $0.95

33.68%

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

$19.2K ¥128.6K

$36.0K $36.0K

-46.64%

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

$17.4K ¥116.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-35.60%

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

$70.2 ¥469

$229 $229

-69.35%

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

$7.19 ¥48.08

$59.4 $59.4

-87.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.50 ¥70.2

$69.9 $69.9

-84.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.79 ¥273

$57.2 $57.2

-28.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.58 ¥90.8

$16.33 $16.33

-16.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.01 ¥40.17

$14.28 $14.28

-57.91%

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

$391 ¥2,614

$1,506 $1,506

-74.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K ¥202.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

40.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.52 ¥291

$52.8 $52.8

-17.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 ¥224

$43.82 $43.82

-23.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 ¥492

$84.8 $84.8

-13.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.1 ¥469

$103 $103

-31.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 ¥1,436

$1,907 $1,907

-88.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$162 ¥1,085

$1,274 $1,274

-87.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$574 ¥3,839

$3,664 $3,664

-84.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ¥2,473

$2,538 $2,538

-85.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,825 ¥18.9K

$7,614 $7,614

-62.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,515 ¥10.1K

$3,157 $3,157

-52.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$918 ¥6,137

$5,121 $5,121

-82.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.29

6.79

-51.55%

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

Last update for Zhengzhou: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhengzhou

$191 28%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 112% $214

Accommodation & Living

Zhengzhou

$162 23.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 686% $1.1K

Clothing & Footwear

Zhengzhou

$99 14.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 28.9% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhengzhou

$88 12.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 308% $270

Eating Out

Zhengzhou

$71 10.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 397% $283

Sport & Entertainment

Zhengzhou

$53 7.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 62.5% $33

Getting Around

Zhengzhou

$18 2.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 218% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $215 in Zhengzhou and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 458% 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: $17.00 in Zhengzhou vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $405 per month, with Zhengzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhengzhou

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:44 1:44 AM

12:44 12:44 PM

13 h behind Zhengzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,600,574

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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zhengzhou Austin, TX 12,070 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhengzhou
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

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

Zhengzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 290% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhengzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 458% 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: $215 in Zhengzhou 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 $683 per month in Zhengzhou versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 290% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zhengzhou runs roughly 180% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $683 in Zhengzhou versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhengzhou but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Zhengzhou 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 Zhengzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 290% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.