Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Katunayaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Katunayaka: $506 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Katunayaka
Learn more

Katunayaka Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Katunayaka

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Katunayaka

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 Katunayaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Budapest vs $506 in Katunayaka, rent included.

Budapest $1,638
Katunayaka $506

A couple spends around $2,553 per month in Budapest vs $822 in Katunayaka, rent included.

Budapest $2,553
Katunayaka $822

A family of three spends $3,467 per month in Budapest vs $1,138 in Katunayaka, rent included.

Budapest $3,467
Katunayaka $1,138

Budapest costs about 224% more than Katunayaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Katunayaka is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 Ft 4,552

$3.84 LKR 1,278

259.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 Ft 20.3K

$25.36 LKR 8,429

142.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 Ft 3,349

$7.49 LKR 2,491

35.65%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Ft 1,062

$2.55 LKR 848

26.27%

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

$2.06 Ft 680

$0.71 LKR 236

190.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 Ft 605

$0.27 LKR 89.9

577.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 Ft 1,188

$2.19 LKR 727

64.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 Ft 1,208

$3.08 LKR 1,023

18.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 Ft 392

$1.64 LKR 544

-27.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Ft 617

$0.57 LKR 190

228.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 780

$0.76 LKR 254

211.84%

Eggs

$3.96 Ft 1,305

$1.72 LKR 573

130.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 Ft 3,680

$13.55 LKR 4,503

-17.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 Ft 2,228

$4.89 LKR 1,627

38.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 Ft 4,731

$7.46 LKR 2,481

92.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 Ft 596

$6.50 LKR 2,162

-72.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 695

$0.84 LKR 281

151.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 Ft 770

$4.40 LKR 1,464

-47.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 Ft 1,254

$1.29 LKR 428

194.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 327

$0.99 LKR 329

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 324

$0.76 LKR 253

28.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 512

$0.95 LKR 316

63.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 230

$0.45 LKR 151

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,569

$10.25 LKR 3,409

-24.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 Ft 1,995

$12.79 LKR 4,251

-52.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 421

$1.91 LKR 636

-32.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 Ft 672

$2.95 LKR 979

-30.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 Ft 511

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.28 Ft 8,995

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,087

$0.41 LKR 135

704.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 Ft 433

$0.37 LKR 123

254.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.26 Ft 6,679

$0.93 LKR 310

2078.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 600

$1.40 LKR 464

30.00%

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

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

$44.7K LKR 14.8M

-35.69%

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

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

$40.9K LKR 13.6M

-19.15%

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

$172 Ft 56.8K

$58.3 LKR 19.4K

195.23%

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

$23.95 Ft 7,897

$4.33 LKR 1,441

453.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.31 Ft 7,685

$21.11 LKR 7,019

10.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.91 Ft 6,235

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 Ft 3,356

$4.40 LKR 1,462

131.36%

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

$600 Ft 197.9K

$38.35 LKR 12.8K

1465.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

$1,203 LKR 399.9K

1295.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

$18.46 LKR 6,138

436.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 Ft 14.3K

$16.89 LKR 5,616

156.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 37.2K

$79.4 LKR 26.4K

42.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 Ft 38.6K

$41.36 LKR 13.7K

183.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 Ft 275.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 Ft 210.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 Ft 526.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 Ft 397.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 Ft 551.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

12.69

-49.17%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Katunayaka: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$640 39.1%

Katunayaka

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Katunayaka

$236 46.6% 8.7% $22

Eating Out

Budapest

$221 13.5%

Katunayaka

$105 20.7% 52.4% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$219 13.4%

Katunayaka

$84 16.6% 61.8% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.2%

Katunayaka

$70 13.9% 58.1% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.4%

Katunayaka

$8.8 * 1.7% 90.1% $80

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Katunayaka

$2.3 * 0.5% 94.8% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $25 in Katunayaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $236 – making Katunayaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇱🇰 Katunayaka

🕒 Local time

00:09 12:09 AM

04:39 4:39 AM

4 h 30 min ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

84,643

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 330 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Katunayaka 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Katunayaka

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 Katunayaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 224%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,457 per month in Budapest and $759 in Katunayaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest and $25 in Katunayaka. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Budapest, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Katunayaka, where all-in costs run around $506, than in Budapest at $1,638. In Katunayaka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Budapest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $506 in Katunayaka to $1,638 in Budapest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.