Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Chanthaburi

For one person, living is cheaper in Chanthaburi: $965 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Chanthaburi
Learn more

Chanthaburi Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Chanthaburi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Chanthaburi

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 Chanthaburi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $965 in Chanthaburi, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Chanthaburi $965

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,594 in Chanthaburi, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Chanthaburi $1,594

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,224 in Chanthaburi, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Chanthaburi $2,224

Budapest costs about 68% more than Chanthaburi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Chanthaburi is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$1.18 ฿39.32

1081.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$35.45 ฿1,185

72.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.15 ฿239

42.52%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.52 ฿50.8

114.47%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.52 ฿17.25

311.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.29 ฿9.60

513.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.67 ฿55.8

122.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$4.40 ฿147

-14.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.52 ฿51.0

-24.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.47 ฿48.97

21.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.87 ฿29.09

186.21%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.05 ฿68.7

90.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$17.05 ฿570

-34.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$3.69 ฿123

79.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$13.08 ฿437

12.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$3.92 ฿131

-53.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.80 ฿60.1

13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.81 ฿93.9

-15.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.90 ฿63.3

105.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.17 ฿39.14

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.56 ฿52.2

-35.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.24 ฿41.41

27.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.54 ฿18.21

24.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$4.50 ฿150

76.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$14.75 ฿493

-57.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.71 ฿57.1

-25.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$3.29 ฿110

-38.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.87 ฿29.23

74.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$88.7 ฿2,964

-68.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.01 ฿33.74

227.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.06 ฿35.26

29.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$5.87 ฿196

237.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.20 ฿40.01

51.67%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$31.1K ฿1.0M

-4.04%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$23.3K ฿779.2K

45.03%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$106 ฿3,547

61.25%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$3.58 ฿120

556.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$10.22 ฿342

127.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$46.50 ฿1,554

45.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$14.30 ฿478

32.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$5.30 ฿177

75.47%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$578 ฿19.3K

-7.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$16.6K ฿555.3K

0.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$7.38 ฿247

1249.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$35.89 ฿1,199

21.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$67.6 ฿2,260

63.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$20.82 ฿696

471.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$440 ฿14.7K

88.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$296 ฿9,906

109.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,368 ฿45.7K

16.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$727 ฿24.3K

60.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,912 ฿63.9K

205.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,552 ฿51.9K

150.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

5.25

22.86%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chanthaburi: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Chanthaburi

$296 30.7% 52.3% $325

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Chanthaburi

$264 27.4% 2.5% $6.3

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Chanthaburi

$69 7.2% 68.9% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Chanthaburi

$120 12.4% 45% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Chanthaburi

$59 6.1% 64.6% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Chanthaburi

$57 5.9% 33.7% $29

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Chanthaburi

$98 10.2% 123% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $440 in Chanthaburi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $35.00 in Chanthaburi. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $264 in Chanthaburi – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇭 Chanthaburi

🕒 Local time

00:11 12:11 AM

05:11 5:11 AM

5 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

27,602

💱 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

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Between locations

Budapest Chanthaburi 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Chanthaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 68%, 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 $1,447 in Chanthaburi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 217% less in Chanthaburi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $578 in Chanthaburi. 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 Chanthaburi, where all-in costs run around $965, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Chanthaburi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chanthaburi – 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 Chanthaburi. 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.