Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Sandakan, Sabah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah: $934 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Sandakan, Sabah
Learn more

Sandakan, Sabah Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Sandakan, Sabah

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $934 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Sandakan, Sabah $934

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,397 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Sandakan, Sabah $1,397

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $1,860 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Sandakan, Sabah $1,860

Budapest costs about 76% more than Sandakan, Sabah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Sandakan, Sabah is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$3.75 MYR 15.28

274.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$19.24 MYR 78.5

216.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$4.77 MYR 19.45

117.40%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$2.83 MYR 11.53

22.26%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$0.79 MYR 3.23

162.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$0.40 MYR 1.63

342.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$3.77 MYR 15.39

-2.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$4.48 MYR 18.27

-15.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-36.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.04 MYR 4.26

77.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.49 MYR 6.09

61.07%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$2.05 MYR 8.37

94.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$13.38 MYR 54.6

-14.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$4.36 MYR 17.77

57.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$9.69 MYR 39.54

49.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$3.28 MYR 13.39

-42.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.67 MYR 6.83

28.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$2.42 MYR 9.85

-4.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$1.53 MYR 6.25

164.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$1.31 MYR 5.35

-22.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.18 MYR 4.82

-16.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.12 MYR 4.57

41.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.53 MYR 2.15

32.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$4.50 MYR 18.35

78.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$19.33 MYR 78.9

-68.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$3.02 MYR 12.30

-58.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$4.55 MYR 18.55

-54.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$0.72 MYR 2.92

120.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$12.43 MYR 50.7

121.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$1.19 MYR 4.85

188.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$0.50 MYR 2.05

166.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$7.51 MYR 30.63

172.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$0.80 MYR 3.28

141.25%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

-29.45%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$34.3K MYR 140.0K

1.21%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$48.48 MYR 198

260.13%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$9.82 MYR 40.07

140.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$27.45 MYR 112

-14.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$39.94 MYR 163

72.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$7.11 MYR 29.01

170.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$4.94 MYR 20.14

108.70%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$190 MYR 776

181.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$7,001 MYR 28.6K

140.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$56.6 MYR 231

76.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$34.71 MYR 142

24.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$81.6 MYR 333

36.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$75.7 MYR 309

57.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$403 MYR 1,644

106.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$299 MYR 1,221

110.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$681 MYR 2,779

132.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$489 MYR 1,994

144.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$2,002 MYR 8,167

185.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,079 MYR 4,402

265.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$1,220 MYR 4,976

40.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.06

58.87%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Sandakan, Sabah

$299 32.1% 52.4% $330

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 27.6% 1.6% $4.2

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Sandakan, Sabah

$111 11.9% 51.1% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Sandakan, Sabah

$86 9.2% 61.3% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Sandakan, Sabah

$112 12% 33.5% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Sandakan, Sabah

$50 5.3% 44.3% $40

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Sandakan, Sabah

$19 2% 56.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $403 in Sandakan, Sabah. 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 40% 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 $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $258 – making Sandakan, Sabah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🕒 Local time

21:35 9:35 PM

03:35 3:35 AM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

439,050

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Sandakan, Sabah 10,200 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Sandakan, Sabah

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 Sandakan, Sabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 76%, 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 $1,401 in Sandakan, Sabah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 121% less in Sandakan, Sabah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $190 in Sandakan, Sabah. 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 Sandakan, Sabah, where all-in costs run around $934, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Sandakan, Sabah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sandakan, Sabah – 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 Sandakan, Sabah. 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.