Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varkala and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Varkala: $385 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Varkala
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Varkala Living Index
129

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

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Varkala

🇮🇳 India

$385

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $385 in Varkala versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Varkala $385
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $612 in Varkala versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Varkala $612
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $839 in Varkala versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Varkala $839
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Varkala costs roughly 86% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varkala is 72% below, Austin, TX is 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.37 ₹225

$20.63 $20.63

-88.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.35 ₹983

$84.6 $84.6

-87.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.51 ₹333

$12.07 $12.07

-70.92%

Cappuccino

$1.59 ₹151

$5.48 $5.48

-70.99%

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

$0.37 ₹35.47

$3.80 $3.80

-90.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.74

$2.47 $2.47

-94.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₹167

$8.05 $8.05

-78.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ₹290

$8.88 $8.88

-65.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 ₹61.9

$1.11 $1.11

-41.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹46.20

$3.72 $3.72

-86.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ₹67.1

$3.37 $3.37

-78.93%

Eggs

$0.94 ₹89.0

$4.32 $4.32

-78.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 ₹487

$13.13 $13.13

-60.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 ₹289

$14.15 $14.15

-78.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ₹194

$4.55 $4.55

-55.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 ₹66.4

$1.46 $1.46

-52.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 ₹89.0

$4.71 $4.71

-80.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.4

$4.15 $4.15

-87.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹33.96

$2.58 $2.58

-86.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₹42.91

$2.35 $2.35

-80.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 ₹42.97

$1.77 $1.77

-74.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.84

$2.14 $2.14

-85.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 ₹366

$10.10 $10.10

-61.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.50 ₹712

$15.19 $15.19

-50.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ₹170

$2.82 $2.82

-36.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₹266

$3.44 $3.44

-18.60%

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

$5.36 ₹509

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₹26.45

$1.54 $1.54

-81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 ₹823

$40.99 $40.99

-78.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₹75.2

$2.80 $2.80

-71.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.73

$1.60 $1.60

-84.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ₹140

$34.34 $34.34

-95.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₹116

$0.94 $0.94

30.85%

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

$14.1K ₹1.3M

$34.0K $34.0K

-58.42%

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

$22.0K ₹2.1M

$26.8K $26.8K

-17.70%

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

$38.61 ₹3,666

$223 $223

-82.66%

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

$3.52 ₹334

$58.9 $58.9

-94.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.28 ₹691

$70.6 $70.6

-89.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.16 ₹1,534

$57.7 $57.7

-71.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.04 ₹668

$16.53 $16.53

-57.41%

Cinema Ticket

$2.92 ₹277

$14.26 $14.26

-79.52%

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

$51.7 ₹4,906

$1,511 $1,511

-96.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,531 ₹145.4K

$20.9K $20.9K

-92.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.84 ₹2,264

$51.3 $51.3

-53.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.34 ₹2,406

$44.17 $44.17

-42.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.87 ₹4,070

$87.0 $87.0

-50.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.88 ₹2,932

$104 $104

-70.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$126 ₹12.0K

$1,940 $1,940

-93.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$74.7 ₹7,094

$1,316 $1,316

-94.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₹25.6K

$3,664 $3,664

-92.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ₹17.0K

$2,565 $2,565

-93.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,076 ₹102.2K

$7,354 $7,354

-85.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$607 ₹57.6K

$3,129 $3,129

-80.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.67

6.79

27.69%

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

Last update for Varkala: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Varkala

$106 27.6%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 281% $299

Accommodation & Living

Varkala

$75 19.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 1662% $1.2K

Eating Out

Varkala

$66 17%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 434% $284

Clothing & Footwear

Varkala

$55 14.4%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 133% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varkala

$49 12.8%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 613% $303

Sport & Entertainment

Varkala

$22 5.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 292% $64

Getting Around

Varkala

$12 3.1%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 390% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $126 in Varkala and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $10.00 in Varkala vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $106 vs $406 per month, with Varkala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Varkala

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

19:08 7:08 PM

10 h 30 min behind Varkala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

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 = 0.89 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 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

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Between locations

Varkala Austin, TX 15,640 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Varkala
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

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

Varkala wins on cost – living expenses run 600% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varkala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $578 in Varkala and $4,046 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $126 in Varkala versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $385 per month in Varkala versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 600% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Varkala runs roughly 373% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $385 in Varkala versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varkala but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Varkala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Varkala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $385 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Varkala hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Varkala 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 Varkala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 600% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.