Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chanthaburi and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Chanthaburi: $965 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chanthaburi
🇹🇭 Thailand
$965
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chanthaburi and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chanthaburi and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $965 per month in Chanthaburi vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Chanthaburi $965
  • Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,594 per month in Chanthaburi vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Chanthaburi $1,594
  • Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,224 per month in Chanthaburi vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Chanthaburi $2,224
  • Budapest $3,429

Chanthaburi is about 40% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chanthaburi sits 29% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chanthaburi
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.18 ฿39.32
$13.94 Ft 4,503
-91.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.45 ฿1,185
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
-42.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.15 ฿239
$10.19 Ft 3,291
-29.83%
Cappuccino
$1.52 ฿50.8
$3.26 Ft 1,055
-53.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.25
$2.14 Ft 690
-75.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ฿9.60
$1.78 Ft 577
-83.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.67 ฿55.8
$3.71 Ft 1,198
-54.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.40 ฿147
$3.77 Ft 1,217
16.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chanthaburi
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 ฿51.0
$1.15 Ft 371
32.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿48.97
$1.79 Ft 578
-17.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.87 ฿29.09
$2.49 Ft 804
-65.06%
Eggs
$2.05 ฿68.7
$3.90 Ft 1,261
-47.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.05 ฿570
$11.10 Ft 3,587
53.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.69 ฿123
$6.62 Ft 2,139
-44.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.08 ฿437
$14.69 Ft 4,745
-10.96%
Apples (1kg)
$3.92 ฿131
$1.83 Ft 591
114.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 ฿60.1
$2.05 Ft 661
-12.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.81 ฿93.9
$2.37 Ft 765
18.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.90 ฿63.3
$3.90 Ft 1,260
-51.28%
Potato (1kg)
$1.17 ฿39.14
$0.99 Ft 320
18.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.2
$1.00 Ft 322
56.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.24 ฿41.41
$1.58 Ft 511
-21.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 ฿18.21
$0.67 Ft 216
-19.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.50 ฿150
$7.96 Ft 2,572
-43.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.75 ฿493
$6.22 Ft 2,009
137.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 ฿57.1
$1.27 Ft 411
34.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 ฿110
$2.03 Ft 654
62.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Chanthaburi
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.23
$1.52 Ft 490
-42.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.7 ฿2,964
$28.02 Ft 9,053
216.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.01 ฿33.74
$3.31 Ft 1,070
-69.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.26
$1.37 Ft 442
-22.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.87 ฿196
$19.83 Ft 6,406
-70.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.20 ฿40.01
$1.82 Ft 589
-34.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.1K ฿1.0M
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
4.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K ฿779.2K
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
-31.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chanthaburi
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 ฿3,547
$171 Ft 55.3K
-37.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.58 ฿120
$23.51 Ft 7,596
-84.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.22 ฿342
$23.29 Ft 7,526
-56.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chanthaburi
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.50 ฿1,554
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
-31.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.30 ฿478
$18.89 Ft 6,104
-24.30%
Cinema Ticket
$5.30 ฿177
$9.30 Ft 3,004
-43.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chanthaburi
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$578 ฿19.3K
$533 Ft 172.3K
8.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ฿555.3K
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
-0.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chanthaburi
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$7.38 ฿247
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
-92.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.89 ฿1,199
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
-17.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.6 ฿2,260
$110 Ft 35.7K
-38.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$20.82 ฿696
$119 Ft 38.4K
-82.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chanthaburi
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$440 ฿14.7K
$830 Ft 268.3K
-46.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$296 ฿9,906
$622 Ft 200.9K
-52.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,368 ฿45.7K
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
-14.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$727 ฿24.3K
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
-37.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,912 ฿63.9K
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
-67.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,552 ฿51.9K
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
-60.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chanthaburi
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.25
6.45
-18.60%

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

Last update for Chanthaburi: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chanthaburi
$296
Budapest
$622 110% $325
Groceries & Markets
Chanthaburi
$264
Budapest
$258 2.4% $6.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chanthaburi
$120
Budapest
$218 81.7% $98
Getting Around
Chanthaburi
$98
Budapest
$44 55.1% $54
Eating Out
Chanthaburi
$69
Budapest
$223 221% $154
Clothing & Footwear
Chanthaburi
$59
Budapest
$168 183% $108
Sport & Entertainment
Chanthaburi
$57
Budapest
$86 50.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $440 in Chanthaburi versus $830 in Budapest. 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 $35.00 in Chanthaburi versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Chanthaburi vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chanthaburi
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
09:52 9:52 AM
04:52 4:52 AM
5 h behind Chanthaburi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
27,602
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chanthaburi Budapest 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chanthaburi
  • Budapest

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
Chanthaburi vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Chanthaburi?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,447 per month in Chanthaburi and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chanthaburi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 217% less in Chanthaburi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $578 per month in Chanthaburi and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Chanthaburi or in Budapest?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chanthaburi, where all-in costs run around $965, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Chanthaburi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Chanthaburi or Budapest more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Chanthaburi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Chanthaburi or Budapest?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Chanthaburi. 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.

Chanthaburi vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?