Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Kurunegala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurunegala: $474 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Kurunegala
Learn more

Kurunegala Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Kurunegala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Kurunegala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $474 in Kurunegala.

Bucharest $1,340
Kurunegala $474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $774 in Kurunegala.

Bucharest $2,037
Kurunegala $774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,074 in Kurunegala.

Bucharest $2,734
Kurunegala $1,074

Living in Bucharest is roughly 183% more expensive than in Kurunegala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Kurunegala 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$1.85 LKR 612

683.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$24.62 LKR 8,154

135.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$4.61 LKR 1,528

62.26%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$2.39 LKR 792

43.93%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.46 LKR 153

415.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.27 LKR 90.4

751.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$2.17 LKR 719

70.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$3.07 LKR 1,017

35.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.54 LKR 509

8.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.43 LKR 144

218.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$0.75 LKR 249

129.33%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$1.58 LKR 522

130.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$14.00 LKR 4,636

-35.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$4.79 LKR 1,586

42.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$7.37 LKR 2,440

62.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$6.90 LKR 2,285

-82.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$0.80 LKR 263

103.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$4.60 LKR 1,525

-65.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$1.26 LKR 419

101.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.03 LKR 341

-23.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.76 LKR 251

1.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.88 LKR 290

-1.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.44 LKR 145

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$10.10 LKR 3,345

-37.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$13.78 LKR 4,563

-55.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.88 LKR 621

-36.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$3.07 LKR 1,017

-48.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$0.38 LKR 125

68.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.29 LKR 95.8

106.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$0.87 LKR 288

639.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.05 LKR 349

86.67%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

-20.27%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$40.2K LKR 13.3M

-33.76%

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

$196 RON 927

$52.9 LKR 17.5K

270.58%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$4.29 LKR 1,420

87.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$21.07 LKR 6,979

-55.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$4.49 LKR 1,488

81.51%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$38.04 LKR 12.6K

1550.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$1,220 LKR 404.1K

1054.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$18.31 LKR 6,064

389.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$16.66 LKR 5,517

130.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$78.8 LKR 26.1K

0.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$41.96 LKR 13.9K

115.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$154 LKR 51.1K

762.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

12.69

-46.81%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kurunegala: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Kurunegala

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Kurunegala

$77 16.3% 65.7% $148

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Kurunegala

$238 50.1% 5.5% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Kurunegala

$78 16.5% 63.3% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Kurunegala

$70 14.8% 47.7% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Kurunegala

$9 * 1.9% 86.5% $58

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Kurunegala

$1.8 * 0.4% 93.5% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

Bucharest pays 762% 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: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $25.00 in Kurunegala. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $238, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇱🇰 Kurunegala

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 PM

20:25 8:25 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

30,300

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

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).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Kurunegala 6,640 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Kurunegala

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

Bucharest vs Kurunegala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Kurunegala differ by about 183% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $474 including rent). Kurunegala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 762% higher in Bucharest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Bucharest pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $474 in Kurunegala – a 183% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $474 in Kurunegala versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kurunegala but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Kurunegala 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, Bucharest and Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.