Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hikkaduwa and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Hikkaduwa: $509 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
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Hikkaduwa Living Index
130

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

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Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $509 in Hikkaduwa versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Hikkaduwa $509
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $826 in Hikkaduwa versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Hikkaduwa $826
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,144 in Hikkaduwa versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Hikkaduwa $1,144
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Hikkaduwa costs roughly 81% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hikkaduwa is 62% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 LKR 1,475

$20.77 $20.77

-78.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.59 LKR 8,144

$84.6 $84.6

-70.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 LKR 2,507

$12.32 $12.32

-38.56%

Cappuccino

$2.50 LKR 827

$5.63 $5.63

-55.60%

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

$0.72 LKR 238

$3.72 $3.72

-80.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.1

$2.50 $2.50

-89.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 LKR 716

$8.05 $8.05

-73.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 998

$9.01 $9.01

-66.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.12 $1.12

40.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 175

$3.75 $3.75

-85.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$3.26 $3.26

-75.46%

Eggs

$1.60 LKR 530

$4.17 $4.17

-61.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.00 LKR 4,636

$12.90 $12.90

8.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 LKR 1,618

$14.16 $14.16

-65.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 LKR 2,405

$16.22 $16.22

-55.24%

Apples (1kg)

$6.84 LKR 2,265

$4.33 $4.33

57.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 281

$1.46 $1.46

-41.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 LKR 1,478

$4.51 $4.51

-1.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 LKR 406

$4.34 $4.34

-71.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 339

$2.58 $2.58

-60.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$2.35 $2.35

-65.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 LKR 306

$1.78 $1.78

-48.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 145

$2.22 $2.22

-80.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.32 LKR 3,418

$9.88 $9.88

4.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 LKR 4,536

$15.08 $15.08

-9.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 625

$2.92 $2.92

-35.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 998

$3.46 $3.46

-13.01%

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 126

$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)

$1.33 LKR 441

$0.95 $0.95

40.00%

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

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

$36.0K $36.0K

4.73%

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

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

$27.1K $27.1K

51.09%

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

$54.8 LKR 18.2K

$229 $229

-76.06%

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

$4.14 LKR 1,371

$59.4 $59.4

-93.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.01 LKR 6,959

$69.9 $69.9

-69.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 LKR 1,474

$14.28 $14.28

-68.84%

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

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

$1,506 $1,506

-97.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,227 LKR 406.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

-94.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.35 LKR 6,077

$52.8 $52.8

-65.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.80 LKR 5,564

$43.82 $43.82

-61.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.7K

$84.8 $84.8

-8.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.92 LKR 14.2K

$103 $103

-58.33%

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

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 Hikkaduwa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hikkaduwa

$239 46.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 69.6% $166

Eating Out

Hikkaduwa

$109 21.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 224% $245

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hikkaduwa

$80 15.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 348% $278

Clothing & Footwear

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 82.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Hikkaduwa

$8.9 * 1.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 864% $77

Getting Around

Hikkaduwa

$2.2 * 0.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 2520% $56

Accommodation & Living

Hikkaduwa

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25.00 in Hikkaduwa vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $405 per month, with Hikkaduwa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:46 3:46 PM

05:16 5:16 AM

10 h 30 min behind Hikkaduwa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,342

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 = 0.892 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hikkaduwa Austin, TX 15,960 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Hikkaduwa
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

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

Hikkaduwa wins on cost – living expenses run 423% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hikkaduwa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $763 in Hikkaduwa and $3,995 in Austin, TX 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 $37.63 in Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa – 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 $509 in Hikkaduwa versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hikkaduwa but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 423% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.