Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Negombo and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Negombo: $405 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Negombo
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Negombo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

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Negombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$405

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $405 per month in Negombo vs $1,647 in Budapest, rent included.

Negombo $405
Budapest $1,647

A couple spends around $650 per month in Negombo vs $2,567 in Budapest, rent included.

Negombo $650
Budapest $2,567

A family of three spends $895 per month in Negombo vs $3,488 in Budapest, rent included.

Negombo $895
Budapest $3,488

Negombo is about 75% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Negombo sits 70% below the global median, while Budapest is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 LKR 1,298

$13.63 Ft 4,407

-71.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.85 LKR 4,938

$60.7 Ft 19.6K

-75.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 LKR 2,473

$10.02 Ft 3,239

-25.75%

Cappuccino

$1.47 LKR 487

$3.33 Ft 1,075

-55.86%

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

$0.63 LKR 209

$2.12 Ft 684

-70.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$1.80 Ft 581

-85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 LKR 728

$3.61 Ft 1,166

-39.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 LKR 1,009

$3.59 Ft 1,160

-15.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 540

$1.12 Ft 361

44.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 192

$1.93 Ft 623

-69.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$2.49 Ft 804

-67.47%

Eggs

$1.69 LKR 563

$3.94 Ft 1,275

-57.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.17 LKR 5,045

$11.28 Ft 3,646

34.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 LKR 1,425

$6.73 Ft 2,177

-36.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.98 LKR 1,989

$14.44 Ft 4,670

-58.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 LKR 618

$1.86 Ft 601

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 LKR 212

$2.04 Ft 658

-68.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 LKR 730

$2.29 Ft 740

-4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 LKR 383

$3.99 Ft 1,290

-71.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 243

$0.94 Ft 304

-22.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 261

$1.02 Ft 330

-22.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 311

$1.65 Ft 534

-43.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.68 Ft 221

-32.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.12 LKR 3,366

$7.81 Ft 2,526

29.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.40 LKR 4,456

$6.02 Ft 1,946

122.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 LKR 657

$1.29 Ft 418

53.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 LKR 955

$2.02 Ft 655

42.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LKR 96.0

$1.50 Ft 484

-80.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 Ft 8,769

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$3.36 Ft 1,085

-88.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 LKR 111

$1.37 Ft 444

-75.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 310

$19.96 Ft 6,451

-95.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 LKR 329

$1.86 Ft 603

-46.77%

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

$43.0K LKR 14.3M

$28.5K Ft 9.2M

50.85%

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

$46.5K LKR 15.5M

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

39.38%

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

$25.87 LKR 8,601

$178 Ft 57.6K

-85.48%

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

$4.24 LKR 1,410

$23.58 Ft 7,623

-82.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.84 LKR 6,929

$24.12 Ft 7,797

-13.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.24 LKR 5,067

$69.7 Ft 22.5K

-78.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.93 LKR 2,969

$17.03 Ft 5,505

-47.56%

Cinema Ticket

$2.39 LKR 795

$10.48 Ft 3,388

-77.19%

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

$40.29 LKR 13.4K

$625 Ft 202.1K

-93.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$445 LKR 148.0K

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

-97.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$8.91 LKR 2,963

$102 Ft 33.0K

-91.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.26 LKR 5,740

$43.41 Ft 14.0K

-60.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.08 LKR 12.0K

$110 Ft 35.5K

-67.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.91 LKR 7,952

$121 Ft 39.0K

-80.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 Ft 273.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 Ft 206.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 Ft 520.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 Ft 393.5K

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)

$180 LKR 60.0K

$1,724 Ft 557.5K

-89.54%

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 Negombo: November 1, 2026

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Negombo

$200 49.4%

Budapest

$260 15.8% 29.9% $60

Eating Out

Negombo

$92 22.7%

Budapest

$220 13.4% 140% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Negombo

$51 12.6%

Budapest

$226 13.7% 343% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Negombo

$39 9.6%

Budapest

$169 10.3% 336% $130

Sport & Entertainment

Negombo

$20 5%

Budapest

$91 5.5% 353% $71

Getting Around

Negombo

$3.2 * 0.8%

Budapest

$43 2.6% 1242% $40

Accommodation & Living

Negombo

- * 0%

Budapest

$638 38.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Budapest are about 9.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Negombo versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $260 – making Negombo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Negombo

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

04:41 4:41 AM

4 h 30 min behind Negombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,449

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 = 3.09 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 373 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.76 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Negombo Budapest 7,250 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Negombo
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

Negombo vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 307%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $607 per month in Negombo and $2,471 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Negombo and $61 in Budapest. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Budapest, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Negombo, where all-in costs run around $405, than in Budapest at $1,647. In Negombo 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 $405 in Negombo 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 Negombo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.