Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Colombo: $796 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$796

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Colombo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $796 in Colombo.

Austin, TX $2,704
Colombo $796

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,198 in Colombo.

Austin, TX $4,133
Colombo $1,198

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,600 in Colombo.

Austin, TX $5,562
Colombo $1,600

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 239% more expensive than in Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Colombo is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$4.52 LKR 1,496

347.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$24.54 LKR 8,122

246.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.51 LKR 2,484

64.45%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.49 LKR 826

119.68%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.72 LKR 238

430.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.27 LKR 90.3

825.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.24 LKR 740

259.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.08 LKR 1,020

191.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.55 LKR 514

-27.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.53 LKR 175

613.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.81 LKR 268

301.23%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.63 LKR 540

153.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$13.98 LKR 4,626

-6.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$5.01 LKR 1,658

185.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$7.29 LKR 2,413

118.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$6.69 LKR 2,213

-34.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.84 LKR 278

72.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.36 LKR 1,444

4.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.22 LKR 405

243.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.99 LKR 329

165.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.82 LKR 270

187.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.93 LKR 307

89.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.47 LKR 154

359.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$10.37 LKR 3,433

-5.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$13.56 LKR 4,489

8.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.87 LKR 620

48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.98 LKR 985

16.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.18 LKR 60.7

727.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$7.13 LKR 2,359

468.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.38 LKR 125

602.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.34 LKR 114

364.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$0.95 LKR 314

3614.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.40 LKR 463

-29.29%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$37.2K LKR 12.3M

-3.84%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$40.5K LKR 13.4M

-32.89%

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

$219 $219

$54.8 LKR 18.1K

299.98%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$4.17 LKR 1,381

1290.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$20.98 LKR 6,944

225.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$13.81 LKR 4,570

319.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$5.62 LKR 1,861

163.70%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$4.35 LKR 1,439

224.83%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$37.68 LKR 12.5K

3905.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$1,201 LKR 397.4K

1687.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$18.01 LKR 5,961

186.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$16.83 LKR 5,572

161.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$78.2 LKR 25.9K

8.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$41.66 LKR 13.8K

152.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$586 LKR 193.9K

229.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$274 LKR 90.7K

364.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,514 LKR 500.9K

142.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$438 LKR 145.0K

476.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,694 LKR 1.2M

106.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,169 LKR 387.0K

173.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$257 LKR 85.1K

1885.36%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Colombo

$274 34.1% 78.5% $998

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Colombo

$238 29.6% 41% $165

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Colombo

$110 13.7% 68.4% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Colombo

$80 10% 76.9% $266

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Colombo

$70 8.7% 45.9% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Colombo

$23 2.8% 73.9% $64

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Colombo

$10 1.2% 82.5% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $586 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1885% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $238 per month, with Colombo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

02:09 2:09 AM

12:39 12:39 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

753,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

LKR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Colombo 15,870 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Colombo

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 Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 239% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1885% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $586 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $796 in Colombo – a 239% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Colombo runs roughly 468% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $796 in Colombo versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Colombo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $796 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.