Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $471 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$471

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $471 in Ratnapura.

Austin, TX $2,704
Ratnapura $471

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $766 in Ratnapura.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ratnapura $766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,062 in Ratnapura.

Austin, TX $5,562
Ratnapura $1,062

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 474% more expensive than in Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Ratnapura is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$1.99 LKR 659

916.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$9.15 LKR 3,028

829.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$5.89 LKR 1,949

109.68%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.17 LKR 718

152.07%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.74 LKR 245

416.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.47 LKR 155

431.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.93 LKR 639

317.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.74 LKR 908

228.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.77 LKR 586

-36.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.75 LKR 247

404.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.63 LKR 208

415.87%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.11 LKR 368

272.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$15.11 LKR 5,000

-13.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.30 LKR 2,086

127.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$15.80 LKR 5,228

1.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.18 LKR 1,382

4.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.72 LKR 237

101.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.22 LKR 1,397

7.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.99 LKR 329

323.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.05 LKR 348

150.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.36 LKR 451

73.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.47 LKR 154

274.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.44 LKR 145

390.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$12.91 LKR 4,270

-24.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$12.87 LKR 4,259

14.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.09 LKR 691

33.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.81 LKR 931

23.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.37 LKR 124

302.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.38 LKR 125

602.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.44 LKR 145

259.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.97 LKR 322

2.06%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$19.5K LKR 6.4M

83.70%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

38.57%

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

$219 $219

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

$58.0 $58.0

$2.08 LKR 688

2687.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$7.36 LKR 2,434

828.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$9.19 LKR 3,041

530.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$2.46 LKR 815

474.39%

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$10.68 LKR 3,535

383.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$7.54 LKR 2,495

484.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$85.6 LKR 28.3K

-0.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$25.29 LKR 8,365

316.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$76.6 LKR 25.4K

2421.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$54.9 LKR 18.1K

2219.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$83.2 LKR 27.5K

2935.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$167 LKR 55.3K

2951.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5% 95.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Ratnapura

$258 54% 35.9% $145

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Ratnapura

$80 16.7% 77.1% $268

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Ratnapura

$9.4 * 2% 97.3% $336

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 54.9% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Ratnapura

$14 3% 83.6% $72

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Ratnapura

$4.1 * 0.9% 92.9% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $76.6 in Ratnapura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2952% 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 $9.00 in Ratnapura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $258 per month, with Ratnapura cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

19:44 7:44 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

52,100

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

LKR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Ratnapura 15,900 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ratnapura

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 Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura wins on cost – living expenses run 474% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ratnapura the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2952% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $76.6 in Ratnapura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $471 in Ratnapura – a 474% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $471 in Ratnapura versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ratnapura but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ratnapura 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 Ratnapura 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 Ratnapura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 474% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.