Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Gampaha

For one person, living is cheaper in Gampaha: $450 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,600 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Gampaha
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Gampaha Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Gampaha

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $450 in Gampaha.

Austin, TX $2,663
Gampaha $450

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $765 in Gampaha.

Austin, TX $4,133
Gampaha $765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,079 in Gampaha.

Austin, TX $5,603
Gampaha $1,079

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 492% more expensive than in Gampaha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Gampaha is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$1.81 LKR 600

1047.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$18.00 LKR 5,961

369.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.20 LKR 1,723

136.92%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.25 LKR 414

350.40%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.54 LKR 178

588.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.27 LKR 89.7

825.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.13 LKR 705

277.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.04 LKR 1,007

196.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.62 LKR 538

-30.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.43 LKR 144

772.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.73 LKR 241

346.58%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.72 LKR 569

142.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.52 LKR 4,480

-4.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.96 LKR 1,312

257.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.23 LKR 2,394

124.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.92 LKR 1,961

-26.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.81 LKR 269

80.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.41 LKR 1,461

2.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.27 LKR 420

241.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.96 LKR 318

168.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.78 LKR 257

201.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.29 LKR 95.7

513.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.32 LKR 104

593.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$9.94 LKR 3,294

-0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.77 LKR 4,231

18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.38 LKR 457

111.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.37 LKR 784

45.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.31 LKR 103

380.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.29 LKR 95.8

841.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.36 LKR 120

361.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$0.90 LKR 297

3822.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.18 LKR 390

-19.49%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.9K LKR 9.9M

20.64%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$40.2K LKR 13.3M

-32.63%

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

$229 $229

$27.63 LKR 9,153

728.77%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$2.98 LKR 985

1892.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$10.84 LKR 3,591

544.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$7.56 LKR 2,504

657.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.44 LKR 1,472

221.62%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$15.07 LKR 4,991

9892.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$122 LKR 40.4K

17511.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$17.88 LKR 5,924

195.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$8.90 LKR 2,948

392.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$61.4 LKR 20.3K

38.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$24.29 LKR 8,044

324.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$89.4 LKR 29.6K

2032.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$55.5 LKR 18.4K

2196.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$301 LKR 99.8K

1116.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$167 LKR 55.4K

1418.47%

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

$225 LKR 74.4K

2179.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-32.10%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Gampaha: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Gampaha

$55 12.3% 95.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Gampaha

$217 48.4% 46.3% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Gampaha

$41 9.2% 88.4% $317

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Gampaha

$65 14.5% 81.6% $289

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Gampaha

$51 11.3% 60.5% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Gampaha

$16 3.7% 80.8% $69

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Gampaha

$3.3 * 0.7% 94.3% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $89.4 in Gampaha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2179% 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 $18.00 in Gampaha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $217 per month, with Gampaha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇱🇰 Gampaha

🕒 Local time

09:56 9:56 AM

20:26 8:26 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

20,000

💱 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 Gampaha 15,850 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Gampaha

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 Gampaha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gampaha wins on cost – living expenses run 492% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gampaha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2179% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $89.4 in Gampaha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $15.07 in Gampaha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gampaha – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $450 in Gampaha versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gampaha but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Gampaha 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 Gampaha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 492% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.