Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kuching

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuching: $887 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kuching

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $887 in Kuching, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Kuching $887

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,389 in Kuching, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Kuching $1,389

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,892 in Kuching, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Kuching $1,892

Budapest costs about 83% more than Kuching, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Kuching is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$3.33 MYR 13.60

320.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$24.53 MYR 100

145.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$4.87 MYR 19.89

104.52%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$3.17 MYR 12.93

6.62%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.74 MYR 3.04

187.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.36 MYR 1.47

419.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$4.51 MYR 18.43

-16.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$6.16 MYR 25.15

-42.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$2.31 MYR 9.42

-51.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.26 MYR 5.16

46.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.15 MYR 4.68

107.83%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.46 MYR 10.03

55.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$10.95 MYR 44.72

3.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$4.45 MYR 18.17

51.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$9.90 MYR 40.42

48.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$3.17 MYR 12.93

-41.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.37 MYR 5.59

46.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$2.40 MYR 9.80

-1.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.82 MYR 7.42

107.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.41 MYR 5.75

-31.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.19 MYR 4.86

-13.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.56 MYR 6.35

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.54 MYR 2.22

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$4.51 MYR 18.41

76.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$21.59 MYR 88.2

-72.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$4.06 MYR 16.58

-67.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$5.19 MYR 21.19

-59.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.58 MYR 2.37

158.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$12.36 MYR 50.5

123.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$1.00 MYR 4.09

230.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$1.24 MYR 5.06

4.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$8.32 MYR 33.99

137.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.90 MYR 3.68

101.11%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$40.9K MYR 167.2K

-28.38%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$36.1K MYR 147.4K

-5.54%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$35.18 MYR 144

383.06%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$9.95 MYR 40.63

141.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$25.26 MYR 103

-7.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$30.24 MYR 123

119.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$12.38 MYR 50.6

54.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$4.83 MYR 19.72

97.10%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$135 MYR 551

297.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$7,000 MYR 28.6K

137.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$63.3 MYR 258

60.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$37.67 MYR 154

14.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$90.2 MYR 368

25.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$65.8 MYR 269

80.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$360 MYR 1,471

123.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$245 MYR 1,001

156.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$647 MYR 2,642

139.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$478 MYR 1,953

144.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,073 MYR 8,464

171.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,508 MYR 6,157

163.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$530 MYR 2,165

206.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

4.37

47.14%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kuching: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Kuching

$245 27.8% 61% $384

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Kuching

$271 30.7% 5.1% $13

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Kuching

$119 13.4% 47.1% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Kuching

$70 8% 67.6% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Kuching

$116 13.1% 31.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Kuching

$40 4.5% 53.2% $45

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Kuching

$22 2.5% 49.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $360 in Kuching. 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 207% 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 $25.00 in Kuching. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $271 in Kuching – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇾 Kuching

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

13:23 1:23 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

349,147

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

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

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Kuching 9,980 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Kuching

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 Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 83%, 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 $1,331 in Kuching. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 123% less in Kuching. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $135 in Kuching. 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 Kuching, where all-in costs run around $887, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Kuching it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuching – 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 Kuching. 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.