Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Badulla and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Badulla: $547 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
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Badulla Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$547

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Badulla and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Badulla and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $547 in Badulla versus $1,647 in Budapest.

Badulla $547
Budapest $1,647

Estimated couple costs with rent: $883 in Badulla versus $2,567 in Budapest.

Badulla $883
Budapest $2,567

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,219 in Badulla versus $3,488 in Budapest.

Badulla $1,219
Budapest $3,488

Living in Badulla costs roughly 67% less than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Badulla is 60% below, Budapest is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 LKR 1,275

$13.63 Ft 4,407

-71.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.93 LKR 8,288

$60.7 Ft 19.6K

-58.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 LKR 2,506

$10.02 Ft 3,239

-24.75%

Cappuccino

$2.47 LKR 823

$3.33 Ft 1,075

-25.83%

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

$0.68 LKR 227

$2.12 Ft 684

-67.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.5

$1.80 Ft 581

-85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 LKR 752

$3.61 Ft 1,166

-37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 LKR 1,005

$3.59 Ft 1,160

-15.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 539

$1.12 Ft 361

44.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 190

$1.93 Ft 623

-70.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.61 LKR 203

$2.49 Ft 804

-75.50%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 548

$3.94 Ft 1,275

-58.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.15 LKR 5,036

$11.28 Ft 3,646

34.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 LKR 1,230

$6.73 Ft 2,177

-45.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 LKR 2,528

$14.44 Ft 4,670

-47.37%

Apples (1kg)

$6.61 LKR 2,198

$1.86 Ft 601

255.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 LKR 296

$2.04 Ft 658

-56.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 LKR 1,420

$2.29 Ft 740

86.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 LKR 420

$3.99 Ft 1,290

-68.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 LKR 362

$0.94 Ft 304

15.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 261

$1.02 Ft 330

-22.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 LKR 405

$1.65 Ft 534

-26.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.68 Ft 221

-32.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.15 LKR 3,374

$7.81 Ft 2,526

29.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 LKR 4,426

$6.02 Ft 1,946

121.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 634

$1.29 Ft 418

48.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 LKR 947

$2.02 Ft 655

41.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 484

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 Ft 8,769

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 136

$3.36 Ft 1,085

-87.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 LKR 111

$1.37 Ft 444

-75.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 288

$19.96 Ft 6,451

-95.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 LKR 454

$1.86 Ft 603

-26.34%

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

$42.8K LKR 14.2M

$28.5K Ft 9.2M

50.13%

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

$46.1K LKR 15.3M

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

38.10%

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

$56.2 LKR 18.7K

$178 Ft 57.6K

-68.43%

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

$4.32 LKR 1,437

$23.58 Ft 7,623

-81.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 LKR 6,870

$24.12 Ft 7,797

-14.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 Ft 22.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 Ft 5,505

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 LKR 1,460

$10.48 Ft 3,388

-58.11%

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

$40.51 LKR 13.5K

$625 Ft 202.1K

-93.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K LKR 5.8M

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

-10.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.24 LKR 6,066

$102 Ft 33.0K

-82.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.37 LKR 5,777

$43.41 Ft 14.0K

-59.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

$110 Ft 35.5K

-29.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.18 LKR 13.7K

$121 Ft 39.0K

-65.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.3 LKR 25.4K

$845 Ft 273.3K

-90.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$44.38 LKR 14.8K

$638 Ft 206.4K

-93.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 Ft 520.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.8 LKR 29.9K

$1,217 Ft 393.5K

-92.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,570 LKR 1.5M

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

-17.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$747 LKR 248.3K

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

-80.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$222 LKR 73.6K

$1,724 Ft 557.5K

-87.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

6.34

97.16%

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

Last update for Badulla: November 1, 2026

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Badulla

$237 43.3%

Budapest

$260 15.8% 9.9% $23

Eating Out

Badulla

$104 19.1%

Budapest

$220 13.4% 111% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Badulla

$81 14.9%

Budapest

$226 13.7% 178% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Badulla

$69 12.7%

Budapest

$169 10.3% 143% $100

Accommodation & Living

Badulla

$44 8.1%

Budapest

$638 38.8% 1338% $594

Sport & Entertainment

Badulla

$8.8 * 1.6%

Budapest

$91 5.5% 932% $82

Getting Around

Badulla

$2.1 * 0.4%

Budapest

$43 2.6% 1984% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $76 in Badulla and $845 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays about 7.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Badulla vs $61 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $260 per month, with Badulla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Badulla

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

19:24 7:24 PM

4 h 30 min behind Badulla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Badulla Budapest 7,360 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Badulla
Budapest

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

Badulla vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla is about 67% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Badulla. 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: $76 in Badulla versus $845 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $41 in Badulla versus $625 in Budapest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $25 versus $61 in Budapest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $547 in Badulla versus $1,647 in Budapest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Budapest. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla 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, Badulla and Budapest are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Badulla wins on affordability, Budapest on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.