Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Horana

For one person, living is cheaper in Horana: $456 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,698
/mo nomad
Horana
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$456
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $456 in Horana.

  • Austin, TX $2,698
  • Horana $456

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $736 in Horana.

  • Austin, TX $4,160
  • Horana $736

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,016 in Horana.

  • Austin, TX $5,622
  • Horana $1,016

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Horana is 66% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Horana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.63 $20.63
$1.83 LKR 605
1027.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$24.89 LKR 8,246
239.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.07 $12.07
$7.46 LKR 2,472
61.80%
Cappuccino
$5.48 $5.48
$2.46 LKR 815
122.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 $3.80
$0.59 LKR 195
544.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$0.22 LKR 72.9
1022.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$2.16 LKR 716
272.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.88 $8.88
$3.06 LKR 1,015
190.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Horana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.58 LKR 522
-29.75%
White Bread (500g)
$3.72 $3.72
$0.40 LKR 134
830.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.37 $3.37
$0.65 LKR 217
418.46%
Eggs
$4.32 $4.32
$1.69 LKR 560
155.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.13 $13.13
$13.82 LKR 4,579
-4.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.15 $14.15
$4.19 LKR 1,387
237.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.33 $16.33
$7.58 LKR 2,511
115.44%
Apples (1kg)
$4.55 $4.55
$2.47 LKR 819
84.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$0.37 LKR 124
294.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.71 $4.71
$4.47 LKR 1,481
5.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$1.32 LKR 437
214.39%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$0.69 LKR 228
273.91%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.68 LKR 226
245.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.77 $1.77
$0.88 LKR 291
101.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.14 $2.14
$0.46 LKR 153
365.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.10 $10.10
$10.37 LKR 3,434
-2.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.19 $15.19
$12.82 LKR 4,248
18.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$1.95 LKR 647
44.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 $3.44
$3.05 LKR 1,011
12.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Horana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.54 $1.54
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.99 $40.99
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.80 $2.80
$0.37 LKR 123
656.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 $1.60
$0.35 LKR 115
357.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.34 $34.34
$0.94 LKR 313
3553.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.40 LKR 464
-32.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.0K $34.0K
$43.3K LKR 14.3M
-21.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$40.3K LKR 13.4M
-33.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Horana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$57.7 LKR 19.1K
286.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$2.96 LKR 982
1889.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.6 $70.6
$20.58 LKR 6,815
243.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Horana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.7 $57.7
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.53 $16.53
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.26 $14.26
$4.43 LKR 1,466
221.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Horana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,511 $1,511
$37.37 LKR 12.4K
3942.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.9K $20.9K
$1,212 LKR 401.4K
1623.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Horana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3 $51.3
$17.81 LKR 5,898
187.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.17 $44.17
$16.63 LKR 5,507
165.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.0 $87.0
$78.1 LKR 25.9K
11.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$41.45 LKR 13.7K
151.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Horana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,940 $1,940
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,316 $1,316
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,565 $2,565
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,354 $7,354
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,129 $3,129
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Horana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,286 $5,286
-
-
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 19, 2026

Last update for Horana: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Horana
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$406
Horana
$207 48.9% $199
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$352
Horana
$81 76.9% $271
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$350
Horana
$87 75.2% $263
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Horana
$69 46.3% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Horana
$8.9 * 89.7% $77
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$58
Horana
$2.1 * 96.4% $56

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $25.00 in Horana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $207 per month, with Horana cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇱🇰 Horana
🕒 Local time
16:13 4:13 PM
02:43 2:43 AM
10 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
15,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 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 Horana 15,900 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Horana

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 Horana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Horana?
Horana 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 Horana the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Horana?
You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $683 in Horana 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.
How do childcare costs compare in Austin, TX and in Horana?
Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $37.37 in Horana. 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 Horana?
Dining out is cheaper in Horana – a meal for two runs $25.00 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 Horana?
At $456 in Horana versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Horana but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Horana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Horana?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Horana 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.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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