Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varanasi and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Varanasi: $289 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $28,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

14

Cost of Living Index in Varanasi
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Varanasi Living Index
130

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

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Varanasi

🇮🇳 India

$289

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $289 in Varanasi versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Varanasi $289
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $476 in Varanasi versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Varanasi $476
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $663 in Varanasi versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Varanasi $663
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Varanasi costs roughly 89% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varanasi is 79% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.82 ₹173

$20.77 $20.77

-91.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.99 ₹759

$84.6 $84.6

-90.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.10 ₹295

$12.32 $12.32

-74.84%

Cappuccino

$1.57 ₹149

$5.63 $5.63

-72.11%

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

$0.41 ₹39.31

$3.72 $3.72

-88.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 ₹10.47

$2.50 $2.50

-95.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 ₹152

$8.05 $8.05

-80.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₹194

$9.01 $9.01

-77.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹58.5

$1.12 $1.12

-44.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.31 ₹29.90

$3.75 $3.75

-91.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.5

$3.26 $3.26

-83.74%

Eggs

$0.81 ₹77.3

$4.17 $4.17

-80.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.20 ₹304

$12.90 $12.90

-75.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.19 ₹208

$14.16 $14.16

-84.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 ₹133

$4.33 $4.33

-67.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 ₹57.3

$1.46 $1.46

-58.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 ₹82.7

$4.51 $4.51

-80.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.32 ₹30.20

$4.34 $4.34

-92.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.23 ₹21.68

$2.58 $2.58

-91.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.25 ₹23.77

$2.35 $2.35

-89.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹42.08

$1.78 $1.78

-75.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.68

$2.22 $2.22

-87.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 ₹303

$9.88 $9.88

-67.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 ₹553

$15.08 $15.08

-61.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₹150

$2.92 $2.92

-45.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₹178

$3.46 $3.46

-45.95%

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

$4.19 ₹398

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ₹50.7

$1.49 $1.49

-64.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.63 ₹914

$41.72 $41.72

-76.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.26 ₹24.88

$2.73 $2.73

-90.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.10 ₹9.62

$1.66 $1.66

-93.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ₹96.9

$35.30 $35.30

-97.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹100

$0.95 $0.95

10.53%

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

$12.5K ₹1.2M

$36.0K $36.0K

-65.27%

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

$21.8K ₹2.1M

$27.1K $27.1K

-19.51%

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

$12.47 ₹1,185

$229 $229

-94.55%

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

$3.66 ₹348

$59.4 $59.4

-93.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.98 ₹663

$69.9 $69.9

-90.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.63 ₹1,199

$57.2 $57.2

-77.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$2.86 ₹271

$14.28 $14.28

-79.97%

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

$38.92 ₹3,696

$1,506 $1,506

-97.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,003 ₹95.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

-95.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.70 ₹2,156

$52.8 $52.8

-57.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.30 ₹2,403

$43.82 $43.82

-42.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.80 ₹3,589

$84.8 $84.8

-55.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.24 ₹2,397

$103 $103

-75.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$111 ₹10.5K

$1,907 $1,907

-94.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$47.37 ₹4,499

$1,274 $1,274

-96.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$196 ₹18.6K

$3,664 $3,664

-94.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 ₹13.3K

$2,538 $2,538

-94.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$569 ₹54.0K

$7,614 $7,614

-92.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$333 ₹31.6K

$3,157 $3,157

-89.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$578 ₹54.9K

$5,121 $5,121

-88.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.53

6.79

25.63%

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

Last update for Varanasi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Varanasi

$81 27.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 402% $324

Eating Out

Varanasi

$57 19.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 523% $297

Clothing & Footwear

Varanasi

$50 17.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 156% $78

Accommodation & Living

Varanasi

$47 16.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 2590% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varanasi

$23 8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 1450% $335

Sport & Entertainment

Varanasi

$18 6.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 368% $67

Getting Around

Varanasi

$13 4.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 368% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $111 in Varanasi and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 786% 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: $8.00 in Varanasi vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $81.0 vs $405 per month, with Varanasi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Varanasi

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:17 2:17 AM

15:47 3:47 PM

10 h 30 min behind Varanasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,100,000

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 = 94.96 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

Varanasi Austin, TX 13,830 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Varanasi
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

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

Varanasi wins on cost – living expenses run 822% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varanasi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 786% 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: $111 in Varanasi 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 $289 per month in Varanasi versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 822% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Varanasi runs roughly 333% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $289 in Varanasi versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varanasi but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Varanasi 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 Varanasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 822% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.