Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matara and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Matara: $581 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Matara
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Matara Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

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Matara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$581

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $581 per month in Matara vs $1,647 in Budapest, rent included.

Matara $581
Budapest $1,647

A couple spends around $850 per month in Matara vs $2,567 in Budapest, rent included.

Matara $850
Budapest $2,567

A family of three spends $1,118 per month in Matara vs $3,488 in Budapest, rent included.

Matara $1,118
Budapest $3,488

Matara is about 65% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Matara sits 57% below the global median, while Budapest is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.86 LKR 1,283

$13.63 Ft 4,443

-71.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.60 LKR 8,180

$60.7 Ft 19.8K

-59.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 LKR 2,518

$10.02 Ft 3,266

-24.45%

Cappuccino

$2.44 LKR 813

$3.33 Ft 1,084

-26.73%

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

$0.68 LKR 225

$2.12 Ft 690

-67.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 83.0

$1.80 Ft 586

-86.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 LKR 751

$3.61 Ft 1,176

-37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 992

$3.59 Ft 1,170

-16.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 526

$1.12 Ft 364

41.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 190

$1.93 Ft 628

-70.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 260

$2.49 Ft 811

-68.67%

Eggs

$1.45 LKR 484

$3.94 Ft 1,286

-63.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 LKR 5,013

$11.28 Ft 3,677

33.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 LKR 1,668

$6.73 Ft 2,195

-25.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.69 LKR 2,558

$14.44 Ft 4,708

-46.75%

Apples (1kg)

$6.67 LKR 2,218

$1.86 Ft 606

258.60%

Banana (1kg)

$0.46 LKR 153

$2.04 Ft 664

-77.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 LKR 1,385

$2.29 Ft 746

82.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 279

$3.99 Ft 1,301

-78.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 LKR 322

$0.94 Ft 307

3.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 208

$1.02 Ft 333

-39.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 LKR 419

$1.65 Ft 539

-23.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 153

$0.68 Ft 222

-32.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.27 LKR 3,415

$7.81 Ft 2,547

31.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.79 LKR 4,585

$6.02 Ft 1,963

129.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 LKR 589

$1.29 Ft 421

37.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 LKR 943

$2.02 Ft 660

40.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LKR 95.2

$1.50 Ft 488

-80.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 Ft 8,842

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 135

$3.36 Ft 1,094

-87.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 102

$1.37 Ft 448

-77.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 310

$19.96 Ft 6,505

-95.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 458

$1.86 Ft 608

-25.81%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$28.5K Ft 9.3M

52.21%

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

$45.7K LKR 15.2M

$33.4K Ft 10.9M

37.04%

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

$44.63 LKR 14.8K

$178 Ft 58.1K

-74.95%

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

$4.15 LKR 1,381

$23.58 Ft 7,686

-82.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.43 LKR 6,795

$24.12 Ft 7,861

-15.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 Ft 22.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 Ft 5,551

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 LKR 1,482

$10.48 Ft 3,416

-57.44%

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

$40.78 LKR 13.6K

$625 Ft 203.8K

-93.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K LKR 5.8M

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

-10.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.76 LKR 5,907

$102 Ft 33.3K

-82.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.33 LKR 5,764

$43.41 Ft 14.2K

-60.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 LKR 25.8K

$110 Ft 35.8K

-29.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.81 LKR 13.9K

$121 Ft 39.3K

-65.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$182 LKR 60.5K

$845 Ft 275.5K

-78.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$88.6 LKR 29.5K

$638 Ft 208.1K

-86.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 Ft 524.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 Ft 396.7K

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)

$105 LKR 35.1K

$1,724 Ft 562.1K

-93.89%

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 Matara: November 2, 2026

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Matara

$238 40.9%

Budapest

$260 15.8% 9.3% $22

Eating Out

Matara

$104 17.9%

Budapest

$220 13.4% 112% $116

Accommodation & Living

Matara

$89 15.3%

Budapest

$638 38.8% 621% $550

Clothing & Footwear

Matara

$69 12%

Budapest

$169 10.3% 143% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matara

$69 11.9%

Budapest

$226 13.7% 226% $157

Sport & Entertainment

Matara

$8.9 * 1.5%

Budapest

$91 5.5% 917% $82

Getting Around

Matara

$3.1 * 0.5%

Budapest

$43 2.6% 1303% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $182 in Matara 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 16 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Matara versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $260 – making Matara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Matara

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

20:21 8:21 PM

4 h 30 min behind Matara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

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 = 2.69 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Matara Budapest 7,410 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Matara
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

Matara vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 184%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $871 per month in Matara 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 Matara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $182 there versus $845 in Budapest.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Matara and $61 in Budapest. 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 Matara, where all-in costs run around $581, than in Budapest at $1,647. In Matara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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