Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kuala Belait

For one person, living costs are similar in Budapest and in Kuala Belait: $1,621 and $1,699 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Belait
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Kuala Belait Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Kuala Belait

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,699

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kuala Belait

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,699 in Kuala Belait, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Kuala Belait $1,699

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,569 in Kuala Belait, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Kuala Belait $2,569

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $3,438 in Kuala Belait, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Kuala Belait $3,438

Budapest is about 5% cheaper than Kuala Belait, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Kuala Belait sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Kuala Belait by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$7.91 BND 10.12

76.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$46.43 BND 59.4

29.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$7.85 BND 10.05

26.88%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 BND 2.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 BND 3.06

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$4.41 BND 5.64

-23.36%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.89 BND 1.15

139.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.50 BND 0.64

274.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.84 BND 2.36

-38.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$2.43 BND 3.12

-24.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.25 BND 2.88

6.22%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.58 BND 3.31

48.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$18.59 BND 23.80

-39.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$9.85 BND 12.61

-31.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$24.88 BND 31.85

-40.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$4.69 BND 6.00

-60.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$2.17 BND 2.78

-7.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$4.83 BND 6.18

-51.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$2.47 BND 3.17

52.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.71 BND 2.19

-43.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$2.90 BND 3.71

-64.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$5.54 BND 7.09

-71.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.93 BND 1.19

-29.03%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.59 BND 14.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.99 BND 7.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$7.86 BND 10.07

1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$3.99 BND 5.11

-17.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$3.43 BND 4.39

-62.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$11.59 BND 14.84

70.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.35 BND 0.45

417.14%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$30.7K BND 39.3K

-4.44%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$27.2K BND 34.9K

25.19%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$38.45 BND 49.23

341.98%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$21.58 BND 27.63

11.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$64.4 BND 82.4

-63.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$95.9 BND 123

-30.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$27.34 BND 35.00

-29.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$5.51 BND 7.05

72.78%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$217 BND 278

146.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$9,398 BND 12.0K

76.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$74.8 BND 95.8

35.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$101 BND 129

-57.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$153 BND 196

-26.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$71.4 BND 91.4

66.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$753 BND 964

6.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$771 BND 987

-18.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,193 BND 1,527

29.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$1,177 BND 1,506

-0.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$3,398 BND 4,350

-52.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.88

65.72%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kuala Belait: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Kuala Belait

$771 45.3% 22.5% $142

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Kuala Belait

$354 20.8% 37.5% $97

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Kuala Belait

$145 8.5% 35.2% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Kuala Belait

$124 7.3% 42.8% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Kuala Belait

$180 10.6% 6.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Kuala Belait

$107 6.3% 25.4% $22

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Kuala Belait

$21 * 1.2% 51.3% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $753 in Kuala Belait. 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 109% higher in Kuala Belait, 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 $46.00 in Kuala Belait. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $354 in Kuala Belait – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇧🇳 Kuala Belait

🕒 Local time

08:29 8:29 AM

14:29 2:29 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

31,178

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Brunei Dollar BND $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 BND = 0.781 USD

1 BND = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BND, 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).

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 BND (1 BND = 0.696 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Kuala Belait 10,020 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Kuala Belait

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 Kuala Belait: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kuala Belait is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $2,549 in Kuala Belait. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $46.00 in Kuala Belait. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Kuala Belait, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Kuala Belait at $1,699. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kuala Belait it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kuala Belait makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.