Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kandy and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandy: $513 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Kandy
Learn more

Kandy Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Kandy

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$513

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $513 per month in Kandy vs $1,638 in Budapest, rent included.

Kandy $513
Budapest $1,638

A couple spends around $728 per month in Kandy vs $2,553 in Budapest, rent included.

Kandy $728
Budapest $2,553

A family of three spends $943 per month in Kandy vs $3,467 in Budapest, rent included.

Kandy $943
Budapest $3,467

Kandy is about 69% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kandy sits 62% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 LKR 885

$13.81 Ft 4,552

-80.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.01 LKR 4,324

$61.5 Ft 20.3K

-78.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 LKR 1,996

$10.16 Ft 3,349

-40.94%

Cappuccino

$1.90 LKR 632

$3.22 Ft 1,062

-40.99%

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

$0.52 LKR 174

$2.06 Ft 680

-74.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 LKR 87.1

$1.83 Ft 605

-85.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 LKR 620

$3.60 Ft 1,188

-48.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 LKR 931

$3.66 Ft 1,208

-23.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 382

$1.19 Ft 392

-3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 174

$1.87 Ft 617

-72.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$2.37 Ft 780

-67.51%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$3.96 Ft 1,305

-56.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 LKR 1,708

$11.16 Ft 3,680

-53.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.25 LKR 1,412

$6.76 Ft 2,228

-37.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.87 LKR 2,285

$14.35 Ft 4,731

-52.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 LKR 1,043

$1.81 Ft 596

73.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 280

$2.11 Ft 695

-60.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 LKR 574

$2.33 Ft 770

-25.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 429

$3.80 Ft 1,254

-66.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 339

$0.99 Ft 327

3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 277

$0.98 Ft 324

-15.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 LKR 144

$1.55 Ft 512

-72.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 140

$0.70 Ft 230

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.02 LKR 2,668

$7.79 Ft 2,569

2.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 LKR 3,751

$6.05 Ft 1,995

86.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$1.28 Ft 421

50.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 LKR 691

$2.04 Ft 672

1.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 LKR 53.3

$1.55 Ft 511

-89.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.38 LKR 1,457

$27.28 Ft 8,995

-83.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 136

$3.30 Ft 1,087

-87.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$1.31 Ft 433

-73.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 LKR 156

$20.26 Ft 6,679

-97.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 383

$1.82 Ft 600

-36.81%

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

$14.0K LKR 4.6M

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

-51.34%

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

$36.7K LKR 12.2M

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

11.08%

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

$59.0 LKR 19.6K

$172 Ft 56.8K

-65.73%

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

$3.86 LKR 1,282

$23.95 Ft 7,897

-83.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.72 LKR 4,227

$23.31 Ft 7,685

-45.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.85 LKR 3,606

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

-84.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 LKR 2,262

$18.91 Ft 6,235

-64.04%

Cinema Ticket

$2.74 LKR 909

$10.18 Ft 3,356

-73.08%

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

$21.65 LKR 7,199

$600 Ft 197.9K

-96.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$304 LKR 101.0K

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

-98.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 LKR 6,078

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

-81.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.15 LKR 3,375

$43.25 Ft 14.3K

-76.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 LKR 22.5K

$113 Ft 37.2K

-40.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.56 LKR 8,831

$117 Ft 38.6K

-77.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

$836 Ft 275.6K

-79.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 LKR 37.5K

$640 Ft 210.9K

-82.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

$1,598 Ft 526.9K

-89.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.6 LKR 31.1K

$1,205 Ft 397.3K

-92.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$397 LKR 131.9K

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

-92.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$400 LKR 133.0K

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

-89.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$262 LKR 86.9K

$1,671 Ft 551.1K

-84.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

86.05%

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

Last update for Kandy: October 25, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kandy

$166 32.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 55.8% $92

Accommodation & Living

Kandy

$113 22%

Budapest

$640 39.1% 467% $527

Eating Out

Kandy

$80 15.6%

Budapest

$221 13.5% 175% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kandy

$76 14.7%

Budapest

$219 13.4% 190% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Kandy

$55 10.8%

Budapest

$168 10.2% 204% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Kandy

$16 3.2%

Budapest

$89 5.4% 445% $73

Getting Around

Kandy

$7.2 1.4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 505% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $172 in Kandy versus $836 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 6.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Kandy versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $258 – making Kandy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kandy

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

17:39 5:39 PM

4 h 30 min behind Kandy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,000

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 = 2.7 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

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 = 2.73 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kandy Budapest 7,300 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Kandy
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

Kandy vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 219%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $770 per month in Kandy and $2,457 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kandy, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $172 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 84% less in Kandy. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $22 per month in Kandy and $600 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kandy, where all-in costs run around $513, than in Budapest at $1,638. In Kandy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kandy – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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