Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Surat Thani

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat Thani: $775 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Surat Thani
Learn more

Surat Thani Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Surat Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Surat Thani

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $775 in Surat Thani, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Surat Thani $775

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,414 in Surat Thani, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Surat Thani $1,414

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,053 in Surat Thani, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Surat Thani $2,053

Budapest costs about 112% more than Surat Thani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Surat Thani is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$1.89 ฿63.0

642.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$17.87 ฿597

240.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$4.51 ฿151

129.93%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$1.50 ฿50.2

130.67%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$0.50 ฿16.68

314.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$0.29 ฿9.66

510.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$2.56 ฿85.4

44.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$3.69 ฿123

2.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.66 ฿55.4

-30.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.19 ฿39.89

55.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.17 ฿39.13

105.13%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$1.87 ฿62.4

113.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$19.18 ฿641

-40.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$3.33 ฿111

106.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$7.44 ฿249

94.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$2.91 ฿97.2

-35.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.68 ฿56.3

27.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.76 ฿58.7

30.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$2.05 ฿68.4

97.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$1.30 ฿43.57

-21.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.37 ฿45.90

-27.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.11 ฿37.24

42.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.41 ฿13.66

70.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$3.07 ฿103

161.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$18.86 ฿630

-67.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.54 ฿51.6

-19.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$1.82 ฿60.7

13.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$1.02 ฿34.00

55.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$20.95 ฿700

31.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$1.18 ฿39.50

190.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$0.63 ฿21.05

111.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$3.49 ฿117

485.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.16 ฿38.93

66.38%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$26.6K ฿890.1K

9.40%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$27.3K ฿911.7K

27.31%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$72.9 ฿2,437

139.43%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$11.12 ฿372

112.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$17.32 ฿579

36.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$48.24 ฿1,612

42.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$11.52 ฿385

67.19%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$4.53 ฿151

127.59%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$549 ฿18.3K

-2.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$11.6K ฿386.5K

45.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$61.9 ฿2,070

61.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$29.16 ฿974

48.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$97.3 ฿3,252

14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$86.5 ฿2,892

37.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$237 ฿7,910

251.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$149 ฿4,985

321.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$1,150 ฿38.4K

37.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$709 ฿23.7K

68.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$2,226 ฿74.4K

156.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,404 ฿46.9K

181.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

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 Surat Thani: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Surat Thani

$149 19.3% 76.3% $480

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Surat Thani

$244 31.5% 6.7% $18

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Surat Thani

$70 9% 69.1% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Surat Thani

$101 13.1% 54.3% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Surat Thani

$124 16% 26.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Surat Thani

$57 7.4% 36% $32

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Surat Thani

$29 3.8% 33.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $237 in Surat Thani. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $18.00 in Surat Thani. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $244 – making Surat Thani the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇭 Surat Thani

🕒 Local time

20:28 8:28 PM

01:28 1:28 AM

5 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

132,040

💱 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 Surat Thani 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Surat Thani

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 Surat Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 112%, 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 $1,163 in Surat Thani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 31% less in Surat Thani. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $549 in Surat Thani. 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 Surat Thani, where all-in costs run around $775, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Surat Thani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Surat Thani – 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 Surat Thani. 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.