Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Cha-am

For one person, living is cheaper in Cha-am: $880 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Cha-am
Learn more

Cha-am Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Cha-am

🇹🇭 Thailand

$880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Cha-am

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 Cha-am actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $880 in Cha-am, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Cha-am $880

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,412 in Cha-am, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Cha-am $1,412

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,944 in Cha-am, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Cha-am $1,944

Budapest costs about 84% more than Cha-am, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Cha-am is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$3.29 ฿110

323.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$22.60 ฿755

170.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.27 ฿243

40.17%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.04 ฿68.1

59.80%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.68 ฿22.66

214.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.34 ฿11.50

423.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.36 ฿78.7

57.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.00 ฿100

25.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.78 ฿59.5

-35.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.49 ฿49.76

20.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.33 ฿44.43

87.22%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.95 ฿65.0

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$12.47 ฿417

-10.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$2.54 ฿85.0

160.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$10.20 ฿341

44.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$3.53 ฿118

-48.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.22 ฿40.86

68.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.87 ฿62.5

26.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.75 ฿58.3

122.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.76 ฿59.0

-43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.09 ฿36.28

-8.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.16 ฿38.80

36.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.45 ฿15.07

48.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$4.31 ฿144

84.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$17.71 ฿592

-64.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.73 ฿57.8

-26.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.96 ฿99.0

-31.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.92 ฿30.63

65.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$22.26 ฿744

25.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.37 ฿45.80

141.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.07 ฿35.67

28.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$3.62 ฿121

447.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.40 ฿46.86

30.00%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$16.4K ฿546.9K

82.07%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$27.1K ฿905.9K

24.73%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$82.1 ฿2,744

108.45%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$11.41 ฿381

106.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$23.66 ฿791

-1.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$23.81 ฿796

183.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$5.81 ฿194

225.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$6.65 ฿222

39.85%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$609 ฿20.4K

-12.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$11.0K ฿368.4K

52.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$50.1 ฿1,675

98.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$29.35 ฿981

48.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$70.5 ฿2,357

56.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$52.6 ฿1,758

126.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$373 ฿12.5K

122.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$273 ฿9,109

128.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$750 ฿25.1K

112.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$643 ฿21.5K

82.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$351 ฿11.7K

370.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

5.96

8.22%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cha-am: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Cha-am

$273 31% 56.2% $349

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Cha-am

$235 26.7% 8.8% $23

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Cha-am

$94 10.7% 57.6% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Cha-am

$117 13.3% 46.2% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Cha-am

$91 10.4% 45.6% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Cha-am

$37 4.2% 56.9% $49

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Cha-am

$33 3.7% 26.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $373 in Cha-am. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 370% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $23.00 in Cha-am. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $235 – making Cha-am the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇭 Cha-am

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

03:59 3:59 AM

5 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

31,354

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Cha-am 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Cha-am

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 Cha-am: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 84%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,320 in Cha-am. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cha-am, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Cha-am. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $609 in Cha-am. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cha-am, where all-in costs run around $880, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Cha-am it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cha-am – 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 Cha-am. 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.