Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Badulla and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Badulla: $543 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
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Badulla Living Index
130

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

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Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$543

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Badulla and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $543 in Badulla versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Badulla $543
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $877 in Badulla versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Badulla $877
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,211 in Badulla versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Badulla $1,211
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Badulla costs roughly 80% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Badulla is 60% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 LKR 1,287

$20.77 $20.77

-81.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.05 LKR 8,298

$84.6 $84.6

-70.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.37 LKR 2,442

$12.32 $12.32

-40.18%

Cappuccino

$2.55 LKR 844

$5.63 $5.63

-54.71%

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

$0.71 LKR 236

$3.72 $3.72

-80.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.5

$2.50 $2.50

-89.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 735

$8.05 $8.05

-72.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,015

$9.01 $9.01

-65.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 LKR 514

$1.12 $1.12

38.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 174

$3.75 $3.75

-85.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.60 LKR 199

$3.26 $3.26

-81.60%

Eggs

$1.66 LKR 551

$4.17 $4.17

-60.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 LKR 4,627

$12.90 $12.90

8.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 LKR 1,178

$14.16 $14.16

-74.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.62 LKR 2,522

$16.22 $16.22

-53.02%

Apples (1kg)

$6.65 LKR 2,202

$4.33 $4.33

53.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$1.46 $1.46

-40.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 LKR 1,440

$4.51 $4.51

-3.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 439

$4.34 $4.34

-69.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 329

$2.58 $2.58

-61.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$2.35 $2.35

-67.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 LKR 287

$1.78 $1.78

-51.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$2.22 $2.22

-79.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 LKR 3,354

$9.88 $9.88

2.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 LKR 4,221

$15.08 $15.08

-15.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 LKR 628

$2.92 $2.92

-34.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 971

$3.46 $3.46

-15.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$2.73 $2.73

-86.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$1.66 $1.66

-77.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 293

$35.30 $35.30

-97.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 456

$0.95 $0.95

45.26%

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

$36.5K LKR 12.1M

$36.0K $36.0K

1.30%

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

$40.7K LKR 13.5M

$27.1K $27.1K

50.40%

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

$57.9 LKR 19.2K

$229 $229

-74.74%

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

$4.31 LKR 1,429

$59.4 $59.4

-92.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.13 LKR 6,998

$69.9 $69.9

-69.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 LKR 1,488

$14.28 $14.28

-68.56%

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

$38.34 LKR 12.7K

$1,506 $1,506

-97.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,205 LKR 399.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

-94.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.44 LKR 6,108

$52.8 $52.8

-65.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.32 LKR 5,405

$43.82 $43.82

-62.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 LKR 26.6K

$84.8 $84.8

-5.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.30 LKR 13.7K

$103 $103

-59.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.1 LKR 25.2K

$1,907 $1,907

-96.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$44.45 LKR 14.7K

$1,274 $1,274

-96.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.9 LKR 29.8K

$2,538 $2,538

-96.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,542 LKR 1.5M

$7,614 $7,614

-40.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$742 LKR 245.8K

$3,157 $3,157

-76.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$224 LKR 74.3K

$5,121 $5,121

-95.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

6.79

86.89%

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

Last update for Badulla: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Badulla

$229 42.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 76.6% $175

Eating Out

Badulla

$105 19.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 237% $249

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Badulla

$83 15.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 330% $275

Clothing & Footwear

Badulla

$70 12.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 82% $58

Accommodation & Living

Badulla

$44 8.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 2766% $1.2K

Sport & Entertainment

Badulla

$9 * 1.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 855% $77

Getting Around

Badulla

$2.2 * 0.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 2520% $56

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 $76.1 in Badulla and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2182% 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: $25.00 in Badulla vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $405 per month, with Badulla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Badulla

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:56 4:56 PM

06:26 6:26 AM

10 h 30 min behind Badulla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

974,447

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Badulla Austin, TX 15,870 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Badulla
Austin, TX

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

Badulla vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla wins on cost – living expenses run 390% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Badulla the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2182% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $76.1 in Badulla versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $38.34 in Badulla versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – 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 $543 in Badulla versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla 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, Badulla and Austin, TX 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 Badulla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 390% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.