Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Galle

For one person, living is cheaper in Galle: $464 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Galle
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$464
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $464 in Galle.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Galle $464

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $756 in Galle.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Galle $756

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,047 in Galle.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Galle $1,047

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 474% more expensive than in Galle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Galle is 66% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Galle
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$1.55 LKR 513
1240.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$23.95 LKR 7,934
253.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$7.37 LKR 2,441
67.16%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$1.85 LKR 613
204.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$0.67 LKR 223
455.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.25 LKR 82.6
900.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$1.23 LKR 406
554.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$1.48 LKR 489
508.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Galle
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.64 LKR 545
-31.71%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$0.57 LKR 189
557.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$0.82 LKR 270
297.56%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$1.67 LKR 552
149.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$13.59 LKR 4,501
-5.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$4.85 LKR 1,606
191.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$7.27 LKR 2,408
123.11%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$6.46 LKR 2,139
-32.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$0.78 LKR 258
87.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$4.47 LKR 1,481
0.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$1.34 LKR 442
223.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.04 LKR 344
148.08%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.83 LKR 274
183.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$0.95 LKR 314
87.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.42 LKR 139
428.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$10.10 LKR 3,346
-2.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$9.07 LKR 3,005
66.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.95 LKR 645
49.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$3.01 LKR 997
14.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Galle
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.15 LKR 48.05
893.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$0.29 LKR 95.1
841.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$0.29 LKR 94.8
472.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$0.88 LKR 292
3911.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.32 LKR 438
-28.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$36.6K LKR 12.1M
-1.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$39.9K LKR 13.2M
-32.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Galle
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$59.5 LKR 19.7K
285.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$4.33 LKR 1,436
1271.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$21.07 LKR 6,978
231.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Galle
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$4.60 LKR 1,523
210.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Galle
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$38.04 LKR 12.6K
3858.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$1,206 LKR 399.3K
1679.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Galle
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$18.27 LKR 6,052
189.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$16.40 LKR 5,433
167.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$80.5 LKR 26.7K
5.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$41.26 LKR 13.7K
149.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Galle
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Galle
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$305 LKR 101.1K
1577.73%
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 Galle: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Galle
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Galle
$228 43.7% $177
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Galle
$85 76.3% $273
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Galle
$69 80.4% $284
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Galle
$70 45% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Galle
$9.2 * 89.3% $77
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Galle
$2.3 * 96.1% $56

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 1578% 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 $24.00 in Galle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $228 per month, with Galle cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇱🇰 Galle
🕒 Local time
13:13 1:13 PM
23:43 11:43 PM
10 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
100,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Galle 15,970 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Galle

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 Galle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Galle?
Galle wins on cost – living expenses run 474% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Galle the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Galle?
Average pay runs 1578% 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.
How do childcare costs compare in Austin, TX and in Galle?
Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $38.04 in Galle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Austin, TX and in Galle?
Dining out is cheaper in Galle – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Galle?
At $464 in Galle versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Galle but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Galle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Austin, TX or Galle?
Both work as nomad bases, but Galle delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $464 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Galle hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Galle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 474% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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