Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nuwara Eliya and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Nuwara Eliya: $506 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Nuwara Eliya
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Nuwara Eliya Living Index
130

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

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Nuwara Eliya

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $506 in Nuwara Eliya versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Nuwara Eliya $506
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $822 in Nuwara Eliya versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Nuwara Eliya $822
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,138 in Nuwara Eliya versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Nuwara Eliya $1,138
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Nuwara Eliya 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: Nuwara Eliya is 62% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 LKR 1,496

$20.77 $20.77

-78.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.01 LKR 7,954

$84.6 $84.6

-71.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,550

$12.32 $12.32

-37.50%

Cappuccino

$2.38 LKR 788

$5.63 $5.63

-57.73%

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

$0.40 LKR 131

$3.72 $3.72

-89.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.2

$2.50 $2.50

-89.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 LKR 740

$8.05 $8.05

-72.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,016

$9.01 $9.01

-65.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 541

$1.12 $1.12

45.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 174

$3.75 $3.75

-85.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 258

$3.26 $3.26

-76.07%

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 541

$4.17 $4.17

-60.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 LKR 4,623

$12.90 $12.90

8.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,584

$14.16 $14.16

-66.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.39 LKR 2,447

$16.22 $16.22

-54.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.63 LKR 2,196

$4.33 $4.33

53.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 259

$1.46 $1.46

-46.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.61 LKR 1,526

$4.51 $4.51

2.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 424

$4.34 $4.34

-70.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 LKR 343

$2.58 $2.58

-60.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 250

$2.35 $2.35

-68.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 LKR 288

$1.78 $1.78

-51.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 145

$2.22 $2.22

-80.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.19 LKR 3,376

$9.88 $9.88

3.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 LKR 4,463

$15.08 $15.08

-10.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 631

$2.92 $2.92

-34.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 972

$3.46 $3.46

-15.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$2.73 $2.73

-85.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$1.66 $1.66

-77.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 311

$35.30 $35.30

-97.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 LKR 463

$0.95 $0.95

47.37%

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

$37.0K LKR 12.3M

$36.0K $36.0K

2.69%

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

$40.4K LKR 13.4M

$27.1K $27.1K

49.12%

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

$54.2 LKR 17.9K

$229 $229

-76.35%

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

$4.30 LKR 1,425

$59.4 $59.4

-92.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.94 LKR 6,937

$69.9 $69.9

-70.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 LKR 1,484

$14.28 $14.28

-68.63%

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

$37.51 LKR 12.4K

$1,506 $1,506

-97.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,222 LKR 404.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

-94.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.93 LKR 5,938

$52.8 $52.8

-66.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.37 LKR 5,421

$43.82 $43.82

-62.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 LKR 26.4K

$84.8 $84.8

-6.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.76 LKR 14.2K

$103 $103

-58.49%

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 Nuwara Eliya: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nuwara Eliya

$238 46.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 70.3% $167

Eating Out

Nuwara Eliya

$108 21.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 228% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nuwara Eliya

$79 15.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 351% $279

Clothing & Footwear

Nuwara Eliya

$71 13.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 81.5% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Nuwara Eliya

$9 * 1.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 858% $77

Getting Around

Nuwara Eliya

$2.3 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 2497% $56

Accommodation & Living

Nuwara Eliya

- * 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: $24.00 in Nuwara Eliya vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $405 per month, with Nuwara Eliya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Nuwara Eliya

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

04:59 4:59 AM

10 h 30 min behind Nuwara Eliya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,500

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

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Between locations

Nuwara Eliya Austin, TX 15,870 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nuwara Eliya
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

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

Nuwara Eliya wins on cost – living expenses run 426% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nuwara Eliya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $760 in Nuwara Eliya 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 $37.51 in Nuwara Eliya 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 Nuwara Eliya – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $506 in Nuwara Eliya versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nuwara Eliya but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Nuwara Eliya 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, Nuwara Eliya 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 Nuwara Eliya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 426% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.