Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kalutara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalutara: $608 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Kalutara
Learn more

Kalutara Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kalutara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $608 in Kalutara.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kalutara $608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $888 in Kalutara.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kalutara $888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,169 in Kalutara.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kalutara $1,169

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 338% more expensive than in Kalutara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kalutara is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.90 LKR 1,292

432.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$25.14 LKR 8,326

236.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.49 LKR 2,481

64.49%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.48 LKR 821

127.02%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.73 LKR 241

409.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.27 LKR 89.5

825.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.15 LKR 713

274.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.06 LKR 1,014

194.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.64 LKR 543

-31.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.53 LKR 176

607.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.75 LKR 249

334.67%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.71 LKR 568

143.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.49 LKR 4,469

-4.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.91 LKR 1,625

188.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.42 LKR 2,457

118.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$6.49 LKR 2,149

-33.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.81 LKR 268

80.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.27 LKR 1,413

5.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.26 LKR 418

244.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.99 LKR 328

160.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.81 LKR 269

190.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.87 LKR 289

104.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.43 LKR 142

416.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.32 LKR 3,418

-4.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.02 LKR 4,312

15.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.90 LKR 629

53.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.02 LKR 999

14.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.12 LKR 39.13

1141.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$9.29 LKR 3,077

349.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.38 LKR 125

618.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.18 LKR 59.8

822.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$0.93 LKR 307

3695.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.38 LKR 456

-31.16%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.3K LKR 12.4M

-3.48%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-33.76%

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

$229 $229

$58.9 LKR 19.5K

288.91%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$4.27 LKR 1,413

1290.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$20.99 LKR 6,953

233.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$8.89 LKR 2,944

543.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.56 LKR 1,511

213.16%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$38.39 LKR 12.7K

3822.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$1,205 LKR 399.0K

1681.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$18.10 LKR 5,995

191.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$16.86 LKR 5,584

159.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$79.7 LKR 26.4K

6.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$41.88 LKR 13.9K

145.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$85.7 LKR 28.4K

1386.50%

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

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 Kalutara: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kalutara

$86 14.1% 93.3% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kalutara

$234 38.5% 42.1% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kalutara

$84 13.8% 76.5% $274

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kalutara

$104 17.2% 70.5% $250

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kalutara

$70 11.6% 45% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kalutara

$18 3% 79% $68

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kalutara

$11 1.8% 81.2% $48

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $25.00 in Kalutara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $234 per month, with Kalutara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇱🇰 Kalutara

🕒 Local time

22:44 10:44 PM

09:14 9:14 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

39,600

💱 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 Kalutara 15,910 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kalutara

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 Kalutara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalutara wins on cost – living expenses run 338% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kalutara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $912 in Kalutara 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.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $608 in Kalutara – a 338% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kalutara runs roughly 349% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $608 in Kalutara versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kalutara but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kalutara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kalutara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $608 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kalutara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Kalutara 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 Kalutara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 338% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.