Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Sakon Nakhon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakon Nakhon: $847 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Sakon Nakhon
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Sakon Nakhon Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Sakon Nakhon

🇹🇭 Thailand

$847

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $847 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Sakon Nakhon $847

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,403 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Sakon Nakhon $1,403

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $1,958 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Sakon Nakhon $1,958

Budapest costs about 94% more than Sakon Nakhon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Sakon Nakhon is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$1.51 ฿50.5

829.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$14.73 ฿492

313.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$2.98 ฿99.6

247.99%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$1.47 ฿49.00

135.37%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$0.68 ฿22.56

204.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$0.27 ฿9.11

555.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$2.15 ฿71.9

71.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$2.13 ฿71.3

78.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$2.42 ฿80.8

-52.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.33 ฿44.46

39.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.17 ฿39.16

105.13%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$2.21 ฿74.0

80.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$10.53 ฿352

8.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$2.59 ฿86.4

165.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$10.42 ฿348

39.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$3.21 ฿107

-41.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.06 ฿35.28

101.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$2.23 ฿74.6

3.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$1.88 ฿62.9

114.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$1.47 ฿49.16

-30.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.45 ฿48.43

-31.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$0.50 ฿16.72

216.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.49 ฿16.33

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$4.24 ฿142

89.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$17.95 ฿600

-65.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.65 ฿55.1

-24.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$2.90 ฿96.8

-28.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$0.87 ฿29.04

82.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$1.48 ฿49.44

131.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$1.11 ฿37.18

19.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$6.78 ฿227

201.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.30 ฿43.50

48.46%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$24.4K ฿814.0K

19.63%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$24.5K ฿817.4K

41.99%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$83.3 ฿2,783

109.62%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$9.84 ฿329

140.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$15.45 ฿516

52.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$46.81 ฿1,564

47.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$14.17 ฿473

35.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$3.50 ฿117

194.57%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$569 ฿19.0K

-5.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$10.5K ฿349.9K

60.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$19.59 ฿655

409.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$6.64 ฿222

551.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$118 ฿3,960

-5.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$73.5 ฿2,455

62.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$388 ฿13.0K

114.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$286 ฿9,563

119.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$1,119 ฿37.4K

41.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$768 ฿25.7K

55.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$2,181 ฿72.9K

162.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,291 ฿43.1K

205.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$753 ฿25.2K

127.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

5.57

15.80%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sakon Nakhon: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Sakon Nakhon

$286 33.8% 54.5% $343

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Sakon Nakhon

$233 27.5% 11.1% $29

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Sakon Nakhon

$57 6.8% 74.6% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Sakon Nakhon

$109 12.8% 51% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Sakon Nakhon

$98 11.6% 41.6% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Sakon Nakhon

$54 6.4% 39.8% $36

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Sakon Nakhon

$11 * 1.2% 76.1% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $388 in Sakon Nakhon. 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 127% 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 $15.00 in Sakon Nakhon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $233 – making Sakon Nakhon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇭 Sakon Nakhon

🕒 Local time

23:10 11:10 PM

04:10 4:10 AM

5 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

53,100

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

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Between locations

Budapest Sakon Nakhon 8,250 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Sakon Nakhon

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 Sakon Nakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,271 in Sakon Nakhon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sakon Nakhon, 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 $61.0 in Budapest and $15.00 in Sakon Nakhon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sakon Nakhon, where all-in costs run around $847, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Sakon Nakhon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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