Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kottayam

For one person, living is cheaper in Kottayam: $263 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $28,800 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
13

Cost of Living Index in Kottayam
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Kottayam Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kottayam

🇮🇳 India

$263

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $263 in Kottayam.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kottayam $263

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $425 in Kottayam.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kottayam $425

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $587 in Kottayam.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kottayam $587

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 911% more expensive than in Kottayam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kottayam is 80% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$1.07 ₹102

1841.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$9.66 ₹917

775.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$3.17 ₹301

288.64%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$0.81 ₹77.0

595.06%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.30 ₹28.39

1140.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.14 ₹13.02

1685.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.22 ₹116

559.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.88 ₹178

379.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.61 ₹57.9

83.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.48 ₹45.84

681.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.52 ₹49.78

526.92%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$0.83 ₹79.1

402.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$2.11 ₹200

511.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.72 ₹353

280.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.05 ₹195

111.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.59 ₹55.8

147.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.89 ₹84.1

406.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.49 ₹46.62

785.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.34 ₹32.60

658.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.41 ₹38.61

473.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.59 ₹56.3

201.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.27 ₹25.88

722.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.05 ₹480

95.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$3.96 ₹376

280.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.53 ₹145

90.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.20 ₹209

57.27%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.43 ₹326

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.29 ₹27.34

413.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$8.92 ₹847

367.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.82 ₹78.1

232.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.32 ₹30.51

418.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$2.04 ₹194

1630.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.11 ₹106

-14.41%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$9,250 ₹878.4K

289.70%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$14.8K ₹1.4M

82.66%

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

$229 $229

$20.51 ₹1,947

1016.48%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$2.98 ₹283

1892.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$5.96 ₹566

1072.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$6.09 ₹578

839.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$9.19 ₹873

77.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$1.74 ₹165

720.69%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$10.63 ₹1,009

14066.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$505 ₹47.9K

4151.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$18.53 ₹1,760

185.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$15.72 ₹1,493

178.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$20.96 ₹1,990

304.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$12.10 ₹1,149

751.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$128 ₹12.2K

1385.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$53.7 ₹5,102

2271.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$261 ₹24.8K

1304.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$116 ₹11.0K

2088.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$947 ₹89.9K

703.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$550 ₹52.2K

474.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$290 ₹27.5K

1668.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-24.56%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kottayam: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kottayam

$54 20.4% 95.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kottayam

$89 33.6% 78.1% $316

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kottayam

$29 11.2% 91.8% $329

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kottayam

$39 15% 88.9% $314

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kottayam

$30 11.5% 76.3% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kottayam

$9.6 3.6% 88.8% $76

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kottayam

$13 4.7% 78.7% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $128 in Kottayam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1668% 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 $10.00 in Kottayam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $89.0 per month, with Kottayam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇳 Kottayam

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

21:55 9:55 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

55,374

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

INR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Kottayam 15,540 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kottayam

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 Kottayam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kottayam wins on cost – living expenses run 911% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kottayam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1668% 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 $128 in Kottayam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $263 in Kottayam – a 911% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kottayam runs roughly 368% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $263 in Kottayam versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kottayam but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kottayam 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 Kottayam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 911% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.