Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kepong

For one person, living is cheaper in Kepong: $909 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Kepong
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Kepong Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Kepong

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$909

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kepong

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $909 in Kepong, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Kepong $909

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,366 in Kepong, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Kepong $1,366

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,823 in Kepong, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Kepong $1,823

Budapest costs about 78% more than Kepong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Kepong is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$3.75 MYR 15.31

271.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$24.50 MYR 100.0

149.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$4.94 MYR 20.13

106.28%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.01 MYR 12.28

8.31%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.87 MYR 3.55

145.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.45 MYR 1.82

295.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$3.40 MYR 13.86

9.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$5.84 MYR 23.81

-35.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.76 MYR 7.18

-34.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.04 MYR 4.24

72.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.42 MYR 5.81

75.35%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.80 MYR 7.34

116.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$9.81 MYR 40.00

13.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$3.30 MYR 13.47

100.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$9.58 MYR 39.08

53.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$3.31 MYR 13.51

-44.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.69 MYR 6.91

21.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.71 MYR 11.06

-12.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.70 MYR 6.93

129.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.47 MYR 5.99

-32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.66 MYR 6.77

-39.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.32 MYR 5.37

19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.55 MYR 2.22

21.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$4.17 MYR 17.00

90.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$13.90 MYR 56.7

-55.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$2.67 MYR 10.90

-52.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.99 MYR 12.20

-32.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.82 MYR 3.34

85.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$12.06 MYR 49.18

132.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.00 MYR 4.09

231.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.38 MYR 1.56

260.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$9.05 MYR 36.91

119.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.86 MYR 3.53

111.63%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

-27.84%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$32.0K MYR 130.6K

5.61%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$49.51 MYR 202

245.63%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$8.27 MYR 33.74

184.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$27.27 MYR 111

-14.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$39.01 MYR 159

73.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$6.74 MYR 27.48

180.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$4.86 MYR 19.82

91.36%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$164 MYR 668

225.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$4,528 MYR 18.5K

270.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$54.7 MYR 223

82.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$24.36 MYR 99.4

78.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$82.3 MYR 336

34.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$84.5 MYR 345

40.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$404 MYR 1,649

105.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$303 MYR 1,235

105.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$668 MYR 2,726

138.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$482 MYR 1,967

142.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,997 MYR 8,147

192.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,073 MYR 4,378

262.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$644 MYR 2,628

156.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.06

58.87%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kepong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Kepong

$303 33.3% 51.3% $319

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Kepong

$228 25.1% 11.5% $30

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Kepong

$115 12.6% 48.5% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Kepong

$85 9.4% 61% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Kepong

$111 12.2% 34% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Kepong

$49 5.4% 43.4% $37

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Kepong

$18 2% 58.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $404 in Kepong. 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 156% 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 $25.00 in Kepong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $228 – making Kepong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇾 Kepong

🕒 Local time

08:02 8:02 AM

14:02 2:02 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

85,960

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Kepong 9,190 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Kepong

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 Kepong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 78%, 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 $1,363 in Kepong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 132% less in Kepong. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $164 in Kepong. 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 Kepong, where all-in costs run around $909, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Kepong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kepong – 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 Kepong. 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.