Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kottayam and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Kottayam: $263 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $28,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

13

Cost of Living Index in Kottayam
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Kottayam Living Index
130

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

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Kottayam

🇮🇳 India

$263

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $263 in Kottayam versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Kottayam $263
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $425 in Kottayam versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Kottayam $425
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $587 in Kottayam versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Kottayam $587
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Kottayam costs roughly 90% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kottayam is 80% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.07 ₹101

$20.77 $20.77

-94.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.66 ₹917

$84.6 $84.6

-88.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.17 ₹301

$12.32 $12.32

-74.27%

Cappuccino

$0.81 ₹77.0

$5.63 $5.63

-85.61%

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

$0.30 ₹28.38

$3.72 $3.72

-91.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.02

$2.50 $2.50

-94.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₹116

$8.05 $8.05

-84.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ₹178

$9.01 $9.01

-79.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 ₹57.8

$1.12 $1.12

-45.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 ₹45.83

$3.75 $3.75

-87.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.52 ₹49.78

$3.26 $3.26

-84.05%

Eggs

$0.83 ₹79.1

$4.17 $4.17

-80.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.11 ₹200

$12.90 $12.90

-83.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ₹353

$14.16 $14.16

-73.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ₹195

$4.33 $4.33

-52.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 ₹55.8

$1.46 $1.46

-59.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 ₹84.1

$4.51 $4.51

-80.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.62

$4.34 $4.34

-88.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹32.59

$2.58 $2.58

-86.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.60

$2.35 $2.35

-82.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ₹56.3

$1.78 $1.78

-66.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.87

$2.22 $2.22

-87.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 ₹480

$9.88 $9.88

-48.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.96 ₹376

$15.08 $15.08

-73.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₹145

$2.92 $2.92

-47.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₹209

$3.46 $3.46

-36.42%

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

$3.43 ₹326

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ₹27.33

$1.49 $1.49

-80.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.92 ₹847

$41.72 $41.72

-78.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₹78.1

$2.73 $2.73

-69.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₹30.51

$1.66 $1.66

-80.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 ₹194

$35.30 $35.30

-94.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹106

$0.95 $0.95

16.84%

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

$9,250 ₹878.3K

$36.0K $36.0K

-74.34%

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

$14.8K ₹1.4M

$27.1K $27.1K

-45.25%

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

$20.51 ₹1,947

$229 $229

-91.04%

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

$2.98 ₹283

$59.4 $59.4

-94.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.96 ₹566

$69.9 $69.9

-91.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$6.09 ₹578

$57.2 $57.2

-89.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.19 ₹873

$16.33 $16.33

-43.72%

Cinema Ticket

$1.74 ₹165

$14.28 $14.28

-87.82%

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

$10.63 ₹1,009

$1,506 $1,506

-99.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$505 ₹47.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

-97.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.53 ₹1,760

$52.8 $52.8

-64.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.72 ₹1,493

$43.82 $43.82

-64.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.96 ₹1,990

$84.8 $84.8

-75.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$12.10 ₹1,149

$103 $103

-88.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$128 ₹12.2K

$1,907 $1,907

-93.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$53.7 ₹5,102

$1,274 $1,274

-95.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 ₹24.8K

$3,664 $3,664

-92.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 ₹11.0K

$2,538 $2,538

-95.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$947 ₹89.9K

$7,614 $7,614

-87.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$550 ₹52.2K

$3,157 $3,157

-82.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$290 ₹27.5K

$5,121 $5,121

-94.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

32.55%

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

Last update for Kottayam: 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

Kottayam

$89 33.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 357% $316

Accommodation & Living

Kottayam

$54 20.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 2271% $1.2K

Eating Out

Kottayam

$39 15%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 798% $314

Clothing & Footwear

Kottayam

$30 11.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 323% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kottayam

$29 11.2%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 1117% $329

Getting Around

Kottayam

$13 4.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 370% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Kottayam

$9.6 3.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 796% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $128 in Kottayam and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1668% 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: $10.00 in Kottayam vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $89.0 vs $405 per month, with Kottayam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kottayam

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

09:53 9:53 AM

10 h 30 min behind Kottayam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,374

974,447

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kottayam Austin, TX 15,540 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Kottayam
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

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

Kottayam wins on cost – living expenses run 911% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kottayam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1668% 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: $128 in Kottayam versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $263 per month in Kottayam versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 911% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kottayam runs roughly 368% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $263 in Kottayam versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kottayam but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kottayam 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 Kottayam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 911% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.