Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and George Town

For one person, living is cheaper in George Town: $956 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in George Town

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $956 in George Town, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
George Town $956

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,599 in George Town, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
George Town $1,599

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,243 in George Town, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
George Town $2,243

Budapest costs about 69% more than George Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$3.41 MYR 13.92

308.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$15.33 MYR 62.5

299.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$4.55 MYR 18.58

123.96%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.61 MYR 10.66

24.90%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.78 MYR 3.16

174.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.35 MYR 1.43

408.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.42 MYR 9.88

53.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$4.46 MYR 18.21

-15.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.85 MYR 7.56

-37.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.05 MYR 4.28

70.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.68 MYR 6.85

48.21%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.21 MYR 9.03

76.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$13.65 MYR 55.7

-18.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.51 MYR 18.38

46.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$8.49 MYR 34.62

73.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.43 MYR 9.89

-24.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.43 MYR 5.84

43.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.23 MYR 9.12

6.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.19 MYR 4.86

227.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.93 MYR 3.77

6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.85 MYR 3.45

17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.70 MYR 2.87

125.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.57 MYR 2.31

17.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$4.42 MYR 18.03

80.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$18.74 MYR 76.5

-66.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$2.42 MYR 9.89

-47.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$3.59 MYR 14.65

-43.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.47 MYR 1.91

223.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$10.84 MYR 44.24

158.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.24 MYR 5.08

166.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.51 MYR 2.09

168.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$6.87 MYR 28.03

188.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.84 MYR 3.43

116.67%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$42.3K MYR 172.6K

-29.59%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$28.7K MYR 117.0K

17.86%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$36.87 MYR 150

364.12%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$8.21 MYR 33.51

186.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$28.51 MYR 116

-18.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$40.21 MYR 164

67.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$5.04 MYR 20.55

274.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$4.76 MYR 19.43

95.38%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$173 MYR 705

208.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$4,848 MYR 19.8K

245.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$53.1 MYR 216

87.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$34.45 MYR 141

26.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$74.5 MYR 304

48.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$69.8 MYR 285

70.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$505 MYR 2,059

64.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$374 MYR 1,524

66.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$932 MYR 3,804

70.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$992 MYR 4,046

18.00%

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

$1,094 MYR 4,462

50.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.04

59.65%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for George Town: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

George Town

$374 39.1% 39.9% $248

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

George Town

$240 25.1% 6.9% $18

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

George Town

$98 10.2% 56.1% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

George Town

$74 7.7% 66.2% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

George Town

$104 10.9% 37.8% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

George Town

$50 5.2% 42.3% $36

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

George Town

$17 1.7% 62.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $505 in George Town. 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 51% 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 $15.00 in George Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $240 – making George Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇾 George Town

🕒 Local time

19:32 7:32 PM

01:32 1:32 AM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

794,313

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, 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).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest George Town 8,910 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
George Town

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 George Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 69%, 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 $1,433 in George Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 158% less in George Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $173 in George Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in George Town, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Budapest at $1,619. In George Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward George Town – 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 George Town. 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.