Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kurunegala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurunegala: $498 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Kurunegala
Learn more

Kurunegala Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Kurunegala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest 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 Budapest and in Kurunegala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,647 per month in Budapest vs $498 in Kurunegala, rent included.

Budapest $1,647
Kurunegala $498

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Budapest vs $807 in Kurunegala, rent included.

Budapest $2,567
Kurunegala $807

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Budapest vs $1,116 in Kurunegala, rent included.

Budapest $3,488
Kurunegala $1,116

Budapest costs about 231% more than Kurunegala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 22% above the global median, while Kurunegala is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 Ft 4,419

$1.83 LKR 609

644.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 Ft 19.7K

$24.67 LKR 8,204

145.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 Ft 3,248

$7.47 LKR 2,484

34.14%

Cappuccino

$3.33 Ft 1,078

$2.56 LKR 853

30.08%

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

$2.12 Ft 686

$0.67 LKR 223

216.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 Ft 583

$0.27 LKR 89.9

566.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 Ft 1,169

$2.18 LKR 724

65.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Ft 1,163

$3.00 LKR 997

19.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Ft 362

$1.58 LKR 525

-29.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 Ft 624

$0.56 LKR 187

244.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 806

$0.75 LKR 248

232.00%

Eggs

$3.94 Ft 1,278

$1.66 LKR 551

137.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 Ft 3,656

$15.58 LKR 5,180

-27.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 Ft 2,183

$5.09 LKR 1,693

32.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 Ft 4,682

$7.78 LKR 2,588

85.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 603

$6.54 LKR 2,176

-71.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 660

$0.87 LKR 291

134.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 Ft 742

$4.15 LKR 1,379

-44.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 Ft 1,294

$1.34 LKR 444

197.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 Ft 305

$1.08 LKR 358

-12.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 331

$0.83 LKR 277

22.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 Ft 536

$1.20 LKR 400

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 Ft 221

$0.46 LKR 151

47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.81 Ft 2,533

$10.12 LKR 3,366

-22.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 Ft 1,952

$13.58 LKR 4,516

-55.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 Ft 419

$1.98 LKR 657

-34.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 Ft 656

$2.86 LKR 950

-29.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 485

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 Ft 8,792

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 Ft 1,088

$0.37 LKR 125

808.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 445

$0.30 LKR 101

356.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.96 Ft 6,468

$0.94 LKR 314

2023.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 Ft 604

$0.95 LKR 315

95.79%

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

$28.5K Ft 9.2M

$43.1K LKR 14.3M

-33.89%

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

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

-25.50%

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

$178 Ft 57.8K

$58.1 LKR 19.3K

206.77%

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

$23.58 Ft 7,643

$4.31 LKR 1,434

447.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Ft 7,817

$20.95 LKR 6,966

15.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 Ft 22.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 Ft 5,520

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 Ft 3,397

$4.49 LKR 1,492

133.41%

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

$625 Ft 202.6K

$39.43 LKR 13.1K

1485.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

$16.9K LKR 5.6M

15.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 Ft 33.1K

$18.04 LKR 5,999

465.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 Ft 14.1K

$17.71 LKR 5,888

145.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.6K

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

41.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 Ft 39.1K

$40.86 LKR 13.6K

195.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 Ft 274.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 Ft 206.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 Ft 521.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 Ft 394.5K

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 559.0K

$152 LKR 50.7K

1031.75%

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 Kurunegala: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$638 38.8%

Kurunegala

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$260 15.8%

Kurunegala

$246 49.4% 5.4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$226 13.7%

Kurunegala

$83 16.7% 63.1% $143

Eating Out

Budapest

$220 13.4%

Kurunegala

$88 17.8% 59.8% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.3%

Kurunegala

$69 13.9% 59% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$91 5.5%

Kurunegala

$9 * 1.8% 90.1% $82

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.6%

Kurunegala

$1.9 * 0.4% 95.6% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Budapest are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $25 in Kurunegala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $246 – making Kurunegala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇱🇰 Kurunegala

🕒 Local time

08:10 8:10 AM

12:40 12:40 PM

4 h 30 min ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

30,300

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 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 = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 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 Kurunegala 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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

Budapest vs Kurunegala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 231%, 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 $747 in Kurunegala. 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 Kurunegala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Budapest, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kurunegala, where all-in costs run around $498, than in Budapest at $1,647. In Kurunegala 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 $498 in Kurunegala to $1,647 in Budapest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

If budget matters most, go with Kurunegala. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.