Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Colombo: $811 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$811

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $811 per month in Colombo vs $1,647 in Budapest, rent included.

Colombo $811
Budapest $1,647

A couple spends around $1,298 per month in Colombo vs $2,567 in Budapest, rent included.

Colombo $1,298
Budapest $2,567

A family of three spends $1,785 per month in Colombo vs $3,488 in Budapest, rent included.

Colombo $1,785
Budapest $3,488

Colombo is about 51% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Colombo sits 40% below the global median, while Budapest is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 LKR 1,304

$13.63 Ft 4,397

-71.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.58 LKR 8,177

$60.7 Ft 19.6K

-59.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 LKR 2,458

$10.02 Ft 3,232

-26.25%

Cappuccino

$2.44 LKR 813

$3.33 Ft 1,073

-26.73%

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

$0.67 LKR 222

$2.12 Ft 683

-68.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 83.1

$1.80 Ft 580

-86.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 LKR 710

$3.61 Ft 1,163

-40.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 LKR 1,007

$3.59 Ft 1,157

-15.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 525

$1.12 Ft 360

41.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$1.93 Ft 621

-72.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$2.49 Ft 803

-67.47%

Eggs

$1.62 LKR 539

$3.94 Ft 1,272

-58.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 LKR 5,035

$11.28 Ft 3,638

34.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 LKR 1,701

$6.73 Ft 2,172

-23.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 LKR 2,547

$14.44 Ft 4,659

-46.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.62 LKR 2,201

$1.86 Ft 600

255.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 LKR 293

$2.04 Ft 657

-56.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 LKR 1,382

$2.29 Ft 738

81.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 425

$3.99 Ft 1,288

-67.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 347

$0.94 Ft 303

10.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$1.02 Ft 330

-19.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LKR 404

$1.65 Ft 533

-26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.68 Ft 220

-33.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.04 LKR 3,338

$7.81 Ft 2,521

28.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.69 LKR 4,555

$6.02 Ft 1,942

127.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$1.29 Ft 417

49.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 987

$2.02 Ft 653

47.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 58.8

$1.50 Ft 482

-88.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.15 LKR 2,709

$27.13 Ft 8,750

-69.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 123

$3.36 Ft 1,083

-88.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 LKR 112

$1.37 Ft 443

-75.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 296

$19.96 Ft 6,437

-95.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 440

$1.86 Ft 602

-29.03%

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

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

$28.5K Ft 9.2M

52.75%

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

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

35.10%

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

$57.7 LKR 19.2K

$178 Ft 57.5K

-67.63%

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

$4.28 LKR 1,424

$23.58 Ft 7,606

-81.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 LKR 6,872

$24.12 Ft 7,779

-14.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.37 LKR 6,775

$69.7 Ft 22.5K

-70.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.14 LKR 2,043

$17.03 Ft 5,493

-63.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.63 LKR 1,541

$10.48 Ft 3,381

-55.82%

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

$40.83 LKR 13.6K

$625 Ft 201.6K

-93.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

$19.6K Ft 6.3M

-12.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.12 LKR 6,027

$102 Ft 32.9K

-82.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.34 LKR 5,768

$43.41 Ft 14.0K

-60.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

$110 Ft 35.4K

-29.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.29 LKR 13.7K

$121 Ft 38.9K

-65.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 LKR 187.8K

$845 Ft 272.7K

-33.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 LKR 90.1K

$638 Ft 205.9K

-57.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 LKR 562.4K

$1,609 Ft 518.9K

5.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 LKR 191.1K

$1,217 Ft 392.6K

-52.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,735 LKR 1.2M

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

-32.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 385.2K

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

-70.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$248 LKR 82.6K

$1,724 Ft 556.2K

-85.59%

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 Colombo: October 31, 2026

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$271 33.4%

Budapest

$638 38.8% 136% $367

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$244 30.1%

Budapest

$260 15.8% 6.4% $16

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.7%

Budapest

$220 13.4% 113% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$83 10.2%

Budapest

$226 13.7% 173% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Budapest

$169 10.3% 144% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$30 3.7%

Budapest

$91 5.5% 206% $61

Getting Around

Colombo

$11 1.3%

Budapest

$43 2.6% 298% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $565 in Colombo versus $845 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Budapest are about 6.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Colombo versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $260 – making Colombo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

23:34 11:34 PM

19:04 7:04 PM

4 h 30 min behind Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

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 = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.76 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 = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 362 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.76 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Colombo Budapest 7,270 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Colombo
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

Colombo vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 103%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,217 per month in Colombo and $2,471 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Colombo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $565 there versus $845 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 70% less in Colombo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $811 in Colombo and $1,647 in Budapest. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Colombo costs $811 versus $1,647 in Budapest. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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