Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Negombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Negombo: $402 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $27,100 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Negombo
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Negombo Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Negombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $402 in Negombo.

Austin, TX $2,663
Negombo $402

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $649 in Negombo.

Austin, TX $4,133
Negombo $649

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $897 in Negombo.

Austin, TX $5,603
Negombo $897

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 563% more expensive than in Negombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Negombo is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$4.48 LKR 1,483

363.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$16.63 LKR 5,508

408.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.59 LKR 2,516

62.32%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.23 LKR 406

357.72%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.69 LKR 228

439.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.25 LKR 82.5

900.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.15 LKR 712

274.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.95 LKR 978

205.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.57 LKR 521

-28.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.53 LKR 174

607.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.74 LKR 245

340.54%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.64 LKR 543

154.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.01 LKR 4,642

-7.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.12 LKR 1,366

243.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$6.00 LKR 1,986

170.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.77 LKR 585

144.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.69 LKR 229

111.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.23 LKR 738

102.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.19 LKR 395

264.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.73 LKR 242

253.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.81 LKR 267

190.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.93 LKR 308

91.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.43 LKR 142

416.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.14 LKR 3,359

-2.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.52 LKR 4,480

11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.95 LKR 646

49.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.01 LKR 997

14.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.29 LKR 94.9

413.79%

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

$0.37 LKR 124

348.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$0.90 LKR 297

3822.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.00 LKR 332

-5.00%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.3K LKR 12.3M

-3.25%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-33.72%

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

$229 $229

$25.65 LKR 8,497

792.75%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$4.21 LKR 1,395

1310.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$20.85 LKR 6,908

235.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$15.27 LKR 5,059

274.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$9.07 LKR 3,004

80.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$2.45 LKR 813

482.86%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$37.97 LKR 12.6K

3865.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$446 LKR 147.9K

4706.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$8.82 LKR 2,920

498.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$16.87 LKR 5,586

159.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$36.78 LKR 12.2K

130.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$24.22 LKR 8,023

325.31%

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

$180 LKR 59.7K

2740.77%

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 Negombo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Negombo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Negombo

$194 48.4% 51.9% $210

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Negombo

$51 12.6% 85.8% $308

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Negombo

$94 23.4% 73.5% $260

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Negombo

$39 9.7% 69.5% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Negombo

$20 5% 76.5% $66

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Negombo

$3.4 * 0.8% 94.2% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 2741% 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 $17.00 in Negombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $194 per month, with Negombo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇱🇰 Negombo

🕒 Local time

10:56 10:56 AM

21:26 9:26 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

142,449

💱 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 Negombo 15,840 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Negombo

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 Negombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Negombo wins on cost – living expenses run 563% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Negombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2741% 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 $37.97 in Negombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Negombo – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $402 in Negombo versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Negombo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Negombo 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 Negombo 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 Negombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 563% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.