Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kalutara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalutara: $612 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Kalutara
Learn more

Kalutara Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Kalutara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$612

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kalutara

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

A single person spends $1,647 per month in Budapest vs $612 in Kalutara, rent included.

Budapest $1,647
Kalutara $612

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Budapest vs $896 in Kalutara, rent included.

Budapest $2,567
Kalutara $896

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Budapest vs $1,179 in Kalutara, rent included.

Budapest $3,488
Kalutara $1,179

Budapest costs about 169% more than Kalutara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 22% above the global median, while Kalutara is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 Ft 4,407

$3.86 LKR 1,285

253.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 Ft 19.6K

$24.82 LKR 8,252

144.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 Ft 3,239

$7.38 LKR 2,453

35.77%

Cappuccino

$3.33 Ft 1,075

$2.43 LKR 807

37.04%

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

$2.12 Ft 684

$0.68 LKR 228

211.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 Ft 581

$0.25 LKR 82.5

620.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 Ft 1,166

$2.26 LKR 752

59.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Ft 1,160

$2.98 LKR 991

20.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Ft 361

$1.62 LKR 537

-30.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 Ft 623

$0.54 LKR 179

257.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.75 LKR 249

232.00%

Eggs

$3.94 Ft 1,275

$1.68 LKR 560

134.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 Ft 3,646

$15.02 LKR 4,994

-24.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 Ft 2,177

$4.98 LKR 1,655

35.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 Ft 4,670

$7.47 LKR 2,485

93.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 601

$6.67 LKR 2,216

-72.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 658

$0.87 LKR 290

134.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 Ft 740

$4.10 LKR 1,363

-44.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 Ft 1,290

$1.33 LKR 441

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 Ft 304

$1.08 LKR 358

-12.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 330

$0.84 LKR 279

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 Ft 534

$1.21 LKR 402

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 Ft 221

$0.46 LKR 152

47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.81 Ft 2,526

$10.41 LKR 3,460

-24.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 Ft 1,946

$13.48 LKR 4,483

-55.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 Ft 418

$1.95 LKR 649

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 Ft 655

$2.95 LKR 980

-31.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 484

$0.13 LKR 44.22

1053.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 Ft 8,769

$9.00 LKR 2,993

201.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 Ft 1,085

$0.37 LKR 123

808.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 444

$0.18 LKR 58.6

661.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.96 Ft 6,451

$0.94 LKR 313

2023.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 Ft 603

$1.38 LKR 459

34.78%

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

$28.5K Ft 9.2M

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

-35.74%

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

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

-25.52%

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

$178 Ft 57.6K

$56.8 LKR 18.9K

213.73%

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

$23.58 Ft 7,623

$4.19 LKR 1,393

462.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Ft 7,797

$21.12 LKR 7,023

14.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 Ft 22.5K

$9.19 LKR 3,056

658.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 Ft 5,505

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 Ft 3,388

$4.61 LKR 1,533

127.33%

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

$625 Ft 202.1K

$40.52 LKR 13.5K

1442.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

$17.1K LKR 5.7M

15.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 Ft 33.0K

$17.99 LKR 5,980

467.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 Ft 14.0K

$17.26 LKR 5,740

151.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.5K

$77.9 LKR 25.9K

41.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 Ft 39.0K

$40.87 LKR 13.6K

195.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 Ft 273.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 Ft 206.4K

$85.5 LKR 28.4K

646.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 Ft 520.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 Ft 393.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 Ft 557.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

12.5

-49.28%

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

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kalutara: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$638 38.8%

Kalutara

$86 14% 86.6% $553

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$260 15.8%

Kalutara

$243 39.7% 6.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$226 13.7%

Kalutara

$82 13.4% 63.6% $144

Eating Out

Budapest

$220 13.4%

Kalutara

$103 16.9% 53.1% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.3%

Kalutara

$69 11.3% 59% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$91 5.5%

Kalutara

$18 3% 79.7% $72

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.6%

Kalutara

$11 1.8% 75.1% $33

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $25 in Kalutara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $243 – making Kalutara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇱🇰 Kalutara

🕒 Local time

03:01 3:01 AM

07:31 7:31 AM

4 h 30 min ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

39,600

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.76 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.76 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 373 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Kalutara 7,310 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Kalutara

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

Budapest vs Kalutara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 169%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,471 per month in Budapest and $919 in Kalutara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 67% less in Kalutara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $625 per month in Budapest and $41 in Kalutara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kalutara, where all-in costs run around $612, than in Budapest at $1,647. In Kalutara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kalutara costs $612 versus $1,647 in Budapest. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.