Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kurunegala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurunegala: $474 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,300 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Kurunegala
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Kurunegala Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kurunegala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $474 in Kurunegala.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kurunegala $474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $774 in Kurunegala.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kurunegala $774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,074 in Kurunegala.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kurunegala $1,074

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 462% more expensive than in Kurunegala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kurunegala is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$1.85 LKR 612

1022.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$24.62 LKR 8,154

243.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.61 LKR 1,528

167.25%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.39 LKR 792

135.56%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.46 LKR 153

708.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.27 LKR 90.4

825.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.17 LKR 719

270.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.07 LKR 1,017

193.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.54 LKR 509

-27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.43 LKR 144

772.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.75 LKR 249

334.67%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.58 LKR 522

163.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.00 LKR 4,636

-7.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.79 LKR 1,586

195.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.37 LKR 2,440

120.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$6.90 LKR 2,285

-37.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.80 LKR 263

82.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.60 LKR 1,525

-1.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.26 LKR 419

244.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.03 LKR 341

150.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.76 LKR 251

209.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.88 LKR 290

102.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.44 LKR 145

404.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.10 LKR 3,345

-2.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.78 LKR 4,563

9.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.88 LKR 621

55.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.07 LKR 1,017

12.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.38 LKR 125

618.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.29 LKR 95.8

472.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$0.87 LKR 288

3957.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.05 LKR 349

-9.52%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

-0.89%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$40.2K LKR 13.3M

-32.68%

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

$229 $229

$52.9 LKR 17.5K

333.20%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$4.29 LKR 1,420

1284.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$21.07 LKR 6,979

231.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.49 LKR 1,488

218.04%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$38.04 LKR 12.6K

3858.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$1,220 LKR 404.1K

1658.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$18.31 LKR 6,064

188.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$16.66 LKR 5,517

163.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$78.8 LKR 26.1K

7.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$41.96 LKR 13.9K

145.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

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

$154 LKR 51.1K

3221.08%

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 Kurunegala: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kurunegala

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kurunegala

$238 50.1% 41.3% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kurunegala

$78 16.5% 78.2% $280

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kurunegala

$77 16.3% 78.2% $277

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kurunegala

$70 14.8% 45.3% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kurunegala

$9 * 1.9% 89.5% $77

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kurunegala

$1.8 * 0.4% 96.9% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 3221% 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 $25.00 in Kurunegala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $238 per month, with Kurunegala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇱🇰 Kurunegala

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

20:29 8:29 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

30,300

💱 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 Kurunegala 15,810 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kurunegala

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 Kurunegala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kurunegala wins on cost – living expenses run 462% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kurunegala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3221% 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.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $38.04 in Kurunegala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurunegala – 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.

At $474 in Kurunegala versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kurunegala but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kurunegala 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 462% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.