Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Katunayaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Katunayaka: $506 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Katunayaka
Learn more

Katunayaka Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Katunayaka

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $506 in Katunayaka.

Austin, TX $2,607
Katunayaka $506

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $822 in Katunayaka.

Austin, TX $4,031
Katunayaka $822

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $1,138 in Katunayaka.

Austin, TX $5,454
Katunayaka $1,138

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 415% more expensive than in Katunayaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 92% above, Katunayaka is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$3.84 LKR 1,278

429.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$25.36 LKR 8,429

234.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$7.49 LKR 2,491

61.82%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$2.55 LKR 848

121.57%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$0.71 LKR 236

418.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.27 LKR 89.9

774.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$2.19 LKR 727

259.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$3.08 LKR 1,023

186.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.64 LKR 544

-30.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$0.57 LKR 190

547.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$0.76 LKR 254

335.53%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$1.72 LKR 573

141.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.55 LKR 4,503

-4.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$4.89 LKR 1,627

183.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$7.46 LKR 2,481

119.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.50 LKR 2,162

-27.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.84 LKR 281

72.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.40 LKR 1,464

16.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.29 LKR 428

250.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.99 LKR 329

211.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.76 LKR 253

213.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.95 LKR 316

89.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.45 LKR 151

393.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.25 LKR 3,409

-2.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.79 LKR 4,251

17.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.91 LKR 636

52.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.95 LKR 979

12.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.41 LKR 135

578.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.37 LKR 123

345.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$0.93 LKR 310

3705.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.40 LKR 464

-32.14%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$44.7K LKR 14.8M

-23.43%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$40.9K LKR 13.6M

-34.59%

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

$223 $223

$58.3 LKR 19.4K

282.37%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$4.33 LKR 1,441

1250.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$21.11 LKR 7,019

237.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$4.40 LKR 1,462

219.55%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$38.35 LKR 12.8K

3704.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$1,203 LKR 399.9K

1674.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$18.46 LKR 6,138

184.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$16.89 LKR 5,616

153.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$79.4 LKR 26.4K

8.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$41.36 LKR 13.7K

150.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

12.69

-46.26%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Katunayaka: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Katunayaka

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Katunayaka

$236 46.6% 42.4% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Katunayaka

$84 16.6% 76.2% $269

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Katunayaka

$105 20.7% 69.9% $243

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Katunayaka

$70 13.9% 45.3% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Katunayaka

$8.8 * 1.7% 89.2% $72

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Katunayaka

$2.3 * 0.5% 96% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $25 in Katunayaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $236 per month, with Katunayaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇱🇰 Katunayaka

🕒 Local time

21:11 9:11 PM

07:41 7:41 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

84,643

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 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 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

LKR to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Katunayaka 15,840 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Katunayaka

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 Katunayaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Katunayaka wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Katunayaka the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $759 in Katunayaka 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.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $38 in Katunayaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Katunayaka – a meal for two runs $25 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $506 in Katunayaka versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Katunayaka but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Katunayaka 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.