Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Nakhon Ratchasima

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima: $778 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Nakhon Ratchasima
Learn more

Nakhon Ratchasima Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Nakhon Ratchasima

🇹🇭 Thailand

$778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Nakhon Ratchasima

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $778 in Nakhon Ratchasima, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Nakhon Ratchasima $778

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,275 in Nakhon Ratchasima, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,275

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,773 in Nakhon Ratchasima, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,773

Budapest costs about 108% more than Nakhon Ratchasima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Nakhon Ratchasima is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$2.85 ฿95.2

389.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$26.19 ฿875

133.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.92 ฿198

72.13%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.90 ฿63.5

71.58%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.53 ฿17.68

303.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.31 ฿10.41

474.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.81 ฿60.6

104.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.70 ฿90.3

39.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.66 ฿55.6

-30.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.22 ฿40.61

46.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.26 ฿42.25

97.62%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.50 ฿50.1

160.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$15.26 ฿510

-27.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$2.58 ฿86.1

156.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$10.27 ฿343

43.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$3.15 ฿105

-41.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.26 ฿42.10

62.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.92 ฿64.1

23.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.93 ฿64.6

102.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.20 ฿40.12

-17.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.04 ฿34.87

-3.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.27 ฿42.32

24.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.37 ฿12.50

81.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.84 ฿95.0

180.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$17.86 ฿597

-65.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.70 ฿57.0

-25.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.99 ฿100.0

-32.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.46 ฿15.47

230.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$19.17 ฿641

46.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.06 ฿35.51

212.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.09 ฿36.38

25.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$7.29 ฿244

172.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.33 ฿44.44

36.84%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$45.1K ฿1.5M

-33.88%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$26.8K ฿894.2K

26.36%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$89.1 ฿2,977

92.10%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$11.76 ฿393

99.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$19.28 ฿644

20.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$46.96 ฿1,569

43.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$15.08 ฿504

25.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$4.79 ฿160

94.15%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$176 ฿5,868

203.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$14.2K ฿475.9K

17.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$50.1 ฿1,674

98.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$28.96 ฿968

50.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$77.9 ฿2,604

41.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$67.1 ฿2,244

77.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$221 ฿7,375

276.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$156 ฿5,221

298.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$487 ฿16.3K

227.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$418 ฿14.0K

180.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$3,378 ฿112.9K

72.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,699 ฿56.8K

128.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$592 ฿19.8K

178.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

5.1

26.47%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$156 20.1% 74.9% $466

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$235 30.3% 8.7% $23

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$81 10.4% 63.6% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$120 15.4% 44.9% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$101 13% 39.8% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$57 7.3% 34.3% $30

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$28 3.5% 37.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $221 in Nakhon Ratchasima. 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 179% 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 $26.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $235 – making Nakhon Ratchasima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇭 Nakhon Ratchasima

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

07:03 7:03 AM

5 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

126,391

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Nakhon Ratchasima 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Nakhon Ratchasima

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 Nakhon Ratchasima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 108%, 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 $1,167 in Nakhon Ratchasima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 46% less in Nakhon Ratchasima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $176 in Nakhon Ratchasima. 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 Nakhon Ratchasima, where all-in costs run around $778, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Nakhon Ratchasima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nakhon Ratchasima – 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 Nakhon Ratchasima. 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.