Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ragama

For one person, living is cheaper in Ragama: $503 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Ragama
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Ragama Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Ragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $503 in Ragama.

Austin, TX $2,698
Ragama $503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $814 in Ragama.

Austin, TX $4,160
Ragama $814

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,125 in Ragama.

Austin, TX $5,622
Ragama $1,125

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 436% more expensive than in Ragama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Ragama is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$3.73 LKR 1,237

453.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$24.62 LKR 8,154

243.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$7.63 LKR 2,528

58.19%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$2.50 LKR 828

119.20%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.72 LKR 239

427.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.25 LKR 82.7

888.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.15 LKR 711

274.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$2.99 LKR 990

196.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.42 LKR 470

-21.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$0.47 LKR 155

691.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$0.68 LKR 226

395.59%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$1.73 LKR 573

149.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.87 LKR 4,593

-5.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$4.74 LKR 1,571

198.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$7.33 LKR 2,428

122.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$6.69 LKR 2,217

-31.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.81 LKR 268

80.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.27 LKR 1,414

10.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.28 LKR 423

224.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.03 LKR 341

150.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.77 LKR 254

205.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.89 LKR 296

98.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.45 LKR 149

375.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.11 LKR 3,350

-0.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.09 LKR 4,336

16.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.97 LKR 653

43.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.94 LKR 974

17.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.37 LKR 123

656.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.35 LKR 115

357.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$0.93 LKR 308

3592.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.38 LKR 459

-31.88%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$44.6K LKR 14.8M

-23.75%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

-33.19%

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

$223 $223

$59.5 LKR 19.7K

274.08%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$4.28 LKR 1,416

1276.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$21.08 LKR 6,982

234.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$4.45 LKR 1,474

220.45%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$37.59 LKR 12.5K

3919.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$1,188 LKR 393.5K

1658.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$18.21 LKR 6,030

181.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$16.89 LKR 5,595

161.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$79.8 LKR 26.4K

9.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$41.92 LKR 13.9K

148.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

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 19, 2026

Last update for Ragama: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Ragama

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Ragama

$233 46.4% 42.6% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Ragama

$85 16.9% 75.9% $267

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Ragama

$103 20.6% 70.5% $247

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Ragama

$71 14% 45.3% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Ragama

$8.9 * 1.8% 89.7% $77

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Ragama

$2.1 * 0.4% 96.4% $56

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $25.00 in Ragama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $233 per month, with Ragama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇱🇰 Ragama

🕒 Local time

16:24 4:24 PM

02:54 2:54 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

15,000

💱 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 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 Ragama 15,860 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ragama

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 Ragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ragama wins on cost – living expenses run 436% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ragama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $754 in Ragama 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 $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $37.59 in Ragama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ragama – 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 $503 in Ragama versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ragama but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ragama 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 Ragama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 436% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.