Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Varkala

For one person, living is cheaper in Varkala: $385 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Varkala
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Varkala Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Varkala

🇮🇳 India

$385

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $385 in Varkala.

Austin, TX $2,698
Varkala $385

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $612 in Varkala.

Austin, TX $4,160
Varkala $612

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $839 in Varkala.

Austin, TX $5,622
Varkala $839

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 600% more expensive than in Varkala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Varkala is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$2.37 ₹225

770.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$10.35 ₹983

717.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$3.51 ₹333

243.87%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$1.59 ₹151

244.65%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.37 ₹35.47

927.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.14 ₹13.74

1664.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.76 ₹167

357.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$3.05 ₹290

191.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.65 ₹61.9

70.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$0.49 ₹46.20

659.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$0.71 ₹67.1

374.65%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$0.94 ₹89.0

359.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$5.13 ₹487

155.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$3.04 ₹289

365.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.04 ₹194

123.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.70 ₹66.4

108.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$0.94 ₹89.0

401.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$0.53 ₹50.4

683.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.36 ₹33.96

616.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.45 ₹42.91

422.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.45 ₹42.97

293.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.31 ₹29.84

590.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$3.85 ₹366

162.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$7.50 ₹712

102.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.79 ₹170

57.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.80 ₹266

22.86%

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

$5.36 ₹509

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.28 ₹26.45

450.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$8.66 ₹823

373.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.79 ₹75.2

254.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.25 ₹23.73

540.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$1.47 ₹140

2236.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.23 ₹116

-23.58%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$14.1K ₹1.3M

140.48%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$22.0K ₹2.1M

21.50%

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

$223 $223

$38.61 ₹3,666

476.66%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$3.52 ₹334

1573.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$7.28 ₹691

869.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$16.16 ₹1,534

257.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$7.04 ₹668

134.80%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$2.92 ₹277

388.36%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$51.7 ₹4,906

2824.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$1,531 ₹145.4K

1264.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$23.84 ₹2,264

115.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$25.34 ₹2,406

74.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$42.87 ₹4,070

102.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$30.88 ₹2,932

237.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$126 ₹12.0K

1435.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$74.7 ₹7,094

1662.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$269 ₹25.6K

1261.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$179 ₹17.0K

1336.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,076 ₹102.2K

583.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$607 ₹57.6K

415.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.67

-21.68%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Varkala: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Varkala

$75 19.4% 94.3% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Varkala

$106 27.6% 73.8% $299

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Varkala

$49 12.8% 86% $303

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Varkala

$66 17% 81.3% $284

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Varkala

$55 14.4% 57.1% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Varkala

$22 5.7% 74.5% $64

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Varkala

$12 3.1% 79.6% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $126 in Varkala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $10.00 in Varkala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $106 per month, with Varkala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇳 Varkala

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

23:57 11:57 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

50,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

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

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 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 →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Varkala 15,640 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Varkala

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 Varkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varkala wins on cost – living expenses run 600% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varkala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $578 in Varkala 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $126 in Varkala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $385 in Varkala – a 600% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Varkala runs roughly 373% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $385 in Varkala versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varkala but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Varkala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Varkala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $385 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Varkala hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Varkala 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 Varkala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 600% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.