Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Koh Samui

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Samui: $1,183 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
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Koh Samui Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Koh Samui

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,183 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Koh Samui $1,183

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,939 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Koh Samui $1,939

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,694 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Koh Samui $2,694

Budapest costs about 37% more than Koh Samui, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Koh Samui is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$4.36 ฿146

220.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$32.80 ฿1,098

83.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$8.50 ฿285

17.18%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.73 ฿91.3

23.81%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.94 ฿31.60

126.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.50 ฿16.59

274.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$2.54 ฿84.9

47.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$3.73 ฿125

-4.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.74 ฿58.2

-35.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.46 ฿48.79

26.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.56 ฿52.2

53.21%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.10 ฿70.3

82.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$19.60 ฿656

-42.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$3.27 ฿110

106.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$10.94 ฿366

34.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$2.96 ฿99.0

-37.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.69 ฿56.5

18.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$2.22 ฿74.2

6.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$2.10 ฿70.3

79.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.46 ฿48.79

-34.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.33 ฿44.53

-22.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.11 ฿37.27

40.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.51 ฿16.97

29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$4.23 ฿142

88.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$18.25 ฿611

-67.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.74 ฿58.3

-25.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$2.87 ฿95.9

-27.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$2.46 ฿82.5

-39.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$45.15 ฿1,512

-38.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$3.08 ฿103

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$1.06 ฿35.62

22.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$3.89 ฿130

408.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.50 ฿50.3

20.67%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$28.2K ฿944.4K

3.97%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$27.7K ฿925.9K

23.33%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$102 ฿3,405

67.10%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$11.78 ฿394

103.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$17.76 ฿595

31.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$54.1 ฿1,812

22.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$11.53 ฿386

66.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$7.73 ฿259

23.16%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$615 ฿20.6K

-12.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$12.4K ฿415.9K

33.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$61.9 ฿2,073

63.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$28.96 ฿969

48.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$94.6 ฿3,167

19.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$88.2 ฿2,951

34.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$619 ฿20.7K

30.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$389 ฿13.0K

61.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,761 ฿59.0K

-12.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$1,025 ฿34.3K

13.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,971 ฿99.5K

89.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$2,176 ฿72.8K

82.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$397 ฿13.3K

309.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

5.57

15.44%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Koh Samui: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Koh Samui

$389 33.5% 38.2% $240

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Koh Samui

$267 23% 3.8% $9.7

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Koh Samui

$119 10.2% 46.9% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Koh Samui

$131 11.3% 39.6% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Koh Samui

$123 10.6% 27.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Koh Samui

$70 6% 18.4% $16

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Koh Samui

$63 5.5% 46% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $619 in Koh Samui. 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 310% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $33.00 in Koh Samui. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $267 in Koh Samui – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

11:46 11:46 AM

5 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

62,110

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Koh Samui 8,550 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Koh Samui

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 Koh Samui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,775 in Koh Samui. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 64% less in Koh Samui. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $615 in Koh Samui. 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 Koh Samui, where all-in costs run around $1,183, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Koh Samui it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Koh Samui – 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 Koh Samui. 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.