Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheras and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheras: $1,130 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Cheras
Learn more

Cheras Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Cheras

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,130

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cheras 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 Cheras and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,130 per month in Cheras vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Cheras $1,130
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,541 per month in Cheras vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Cheras $1,541
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,952 per month in Cheras vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Cheras $1,952
Budapest $3,429

Cheras is about 30% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cheras sits 16% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.62

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-74.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.28 MYR 99.1

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-60.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 MYR 19.57

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-52.89%

Cappuccino

$3.08 MYR 12.55

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-5.52%

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

$0.93 MYR 3.79

$2.14 Ft 690

-56.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MYR 2.44

$1.78 Ft 577

-66.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.35 MYR 17.75

$3.71 Ft 1,198

17.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.25 MYR 25.50

$3.77 Ft 1,217

65.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.88

$1.15 Ft 371

67.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.18

$1.79 Ft 578

-43.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.89

$2.49 Ft 804

-42.17%

Eggs

$1.77 MYR 7.23

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-54.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.85 MYR 72.8

$11.10 Ft 3,587

60.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.60

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-31.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 MYR 44.09

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-26.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 MYR 14.50

$1.83 Ft 591

93.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MYR 7.91

$2.05 Ft 661

-5.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.73

$2.37 Ft 765

10.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.80

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-57.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MYR 8.48

$0.99 Ft 320

110.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.72

$1.00 Ft 322

65.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MYR 5.63

$1.58 Ft 511

-12.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$0.67 Ft 216

-23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 MYR 17.30

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-46.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 MYR 56.6

$6.22 Ft 2,009

123.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 MYR 11.30

$1.27 Ft 411

118.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MYR 12.83

$2.03 Ft 654

55.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$1.52 Ft 490

-53.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 49.08

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-57.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 MYR 4.13

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-69.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$1.37 Ft 442

-74.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.96 MYR 36.57

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-54.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.58

$1.82 Ft 589

-51.65%

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

$40.9K MYR 167.0K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

37.40%

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

$34.0K MYR 138.7K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

0.56%

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

$49.67 MYR 203

$171 Ft 55.3K

-70.97%

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

$11.06 MYR 45.10

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-52.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.31 MYR 111

$23.29 Ft 7,526

17.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.42 MYR 161

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-41.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.14 MYR 29.13

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-62.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.99 MYR 20.36

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-46.34%

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

$164 MYR 667

$533 Ft 172.3K

-69.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,451 MYR 18.2K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-73.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 MYR 221

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-45.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.39 MYR 120

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-32.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 MYR 332

$110 Ft 35.7K

-26.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 MYR 402

$119 Ft 38.4K

-17.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 MYR 1,669

$830 Ft 268.3K

-50.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 MYR 1,906

$622 Ft 200.9K

-24.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 MYR 2,803

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-56.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 MYR 1,977

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-58.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,052 MYR 8,372

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-64.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,103 MYR 4,501

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-71.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,189 MYR 4,851

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-27.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

6.45

-37.05%

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

Last update for Cheras: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cheras

$467 41.4%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 33.1% $155

Groceries & Markets

Cheras

$268 23.8%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 3.9% $11

Eating Out

Cheras

$120 10.7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 85.3% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Cheras

$119 10.5%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 41.2% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheras

$88 7.8%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 148% $130

Sport & Entertainment

Cheras

$49 4.4%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 74.4% $37

Getting Around

Cheras

$18 1.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 151% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $409 in Cheras 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.

Salaries run about 39% 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 $24.00 in Cheras versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Cheras vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Cheras

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

10:23 10:23 AM

04:23 4:23 AM

6 h behind Cheras

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

440,000

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 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).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cheras Budapest 9,210 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cheras
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

Cheras vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,695 per month in Cheras and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 133% less in Cheras. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $164 per month in Cheras and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cheras, where all-in costs run around $1,130, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Cheras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cheras – 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 Cheras. 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.