Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bandarawela

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandarawela: $490 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Bandarawela
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Bandarawela Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Bandarawela

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Bandarawela

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Bandarawela actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $490 in Bandarawela.

Austin, TX $2,663
Bandarawela $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $785 in Bandarawela.

Austin, TX $4,133
Bandarawela $785

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,081 in Bandarawela.

Austin, TX $5,603
Bandarawela $1,081

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 444% more expensive than in Bandarawela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Bandarawela is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$1.34 LKR 444

1450.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$24.37 LKR 8,072

247.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.78 LKR 2,576

58.35%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.49 LKR 493

277.85%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.59 LKR 194

530.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.25 LKR 82.1

900.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.25 LKR 744

257.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.46 LKR 814

266.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.55 LKR 513

-27.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.38 LKR 125

886.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.60 LKR 199

443.33%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.12 LKR 370

272.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.70 LKR 4,538

-5.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.54 LKR 1,173

300.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.52 LKR 2,492

115.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$6.66 LKR 2,205

-34.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.59 LKR 195

147.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.49 LKR 1,487

0.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.23 LKR 407

252.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.90 LKR 298

186.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.52 LKR 174

351.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.89 LKR 296

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.47 LKR 156

372.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$9.84 LKR 3,258

0.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.37 LKR 4,429

12.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.97 LKR 654

48.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.05 LKR 1,010

13.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.16 LKR 51.6

831.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$1.52 LKR 504

2644.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.38 LKR 124

618.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.29 LKR 95.1

472.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$0.43 LKR 142

8109.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.98 LKR 326

-3.06%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

-4.57%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$40.7K LKR 13.5M

-33.53%

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

$229 $229

$53.1 LKR 17.6K

331.41%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$3.26 LKR 1,080

1721.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$6.17 LKR 2,042

1033.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$6.22 LKR 2,062

820.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$4.51 LKR 1,493

262.08%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$2.44 LKR 808

485.25%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$37.12 LKR 12.3K

3956.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$1,225 LKR 405.8K

1651.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$18.24 LKR 6,043

189.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$16.54 LKR 5,477

164.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$78.9 LKR 26.1K

7.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$42.86 LKR 14.2K

140.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$91.8 LKR 30.4K

1977.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$46.17 LKR 15.3K

2659.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$119 LKR 39.5K

2969.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$60.5 LKR 20.0K

4096.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

12.69

-46.49%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bandarawela: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Bandarawela

$46 9.4% 96.4% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Bandarawela

$224 45.8% 44.6% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Bandarawela

$63 12.8% 82.6% $296

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Bandarawela

$71 14.6% 79.8% $282

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Bandarawela

$70 14.4% 45% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Bandarawela

$11 2.3% 87% $75

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Bandarawela

$4 0.8% 93.3% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $91.8 in Bandarawela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $24.00 in Bandarawela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $224 per month, with Bandarawela cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇱🇰 Bandarawela

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

19:37 7:37 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

8,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

LKR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Bandarawela 15,890 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bandarawela

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

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

Bandarawela wins on cost – living expenses run 444% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bandarawela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $735 in Bandarawela 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $91.8 in Bandarawela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $490 in Bandarawela – a 444% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bandarawela runs roughly 2645% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $490 in Bandarawela versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bandarawela but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bandarawela 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Bandarawela are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bandarawela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 444% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.