Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hat Yai and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Hat Yai: $731 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Hat Yai
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Hat Yai Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$731

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $731 per month in Hat Yai vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Hat Yai $731
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,300 per month in Hat Yai vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Hat Yai $1,300
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,870 per month in Hat Yai vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Hat Yai $1,870
Budapest $3,429

Hat Yai is about 55% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hat Yai sits 46% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ฿96.9

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-79.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.67 ฿1,460

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-28.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.66 ฿122

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-64.08%

Cappuccino

$2.88 ฿96.3

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-11.66%

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

$1.33 ฿44.34

$2.14 Ft 690

-37.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.60

$1.78 Ft 577

-68.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 ฿60.1

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-51.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ฿116

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-8.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.55

$1.15 Ft 371

26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ฿41.68

$1.79 Ft 578

-30.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.28

$2.49 Ft 804

-50.20%

Eggs

$2.51 ฿83.9

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-35.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.15 ฿740

$11.10 Ft 3,587

99.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.24 ฿74.7

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-66.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ฿374

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-23.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ฿84.8

$1.83 Ft 591

38.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.10

$2.05 Ft 661

-32.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ฿63.3

$2.37 Ft 765

-20.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ฿60.3

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-53.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.94

$0.99 Ft 320

47.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.38

$1.00 Ft 322

3.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.74

$1.58 Ft 511

-32.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.57

$0.67 Ft 216

-38.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 ฿146

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-45.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 ฿502

$6.22 Ft 2,009

141.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$1.27 Ft 411

39.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ฿66.4

$2.03 Ft 654

-1.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ฿18.98

$1.52 Ft 490

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ฿41.71

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-62.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ฿37.78

$1.37 Ft 442

-17.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ฿165

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-75.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿43.15

$1.82 Ft 589

-29.12%

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

$18.9K ฿630.6K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-36.68%

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

$45.1K ฿1.5M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

33.43%

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

$84.4 ฿2,819

$171 Ft 55.3K

-50.70%

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

$11.75 ฿393

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-50.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.65 ฿322

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-58.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.45 ฿1,619

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-28.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.10 ฿471

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-25.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 ฿240

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-22.69%

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

$562 ฿18.8K

$533 Ft 172.3K

5.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ฿357.3K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-36.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.54 ฿1,255

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-62.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.26 ฿878

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-39.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ฿2,369

$110 Ft 35.7K

-35.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 ฿3,250

$119 Ft 38.4K

-18.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ฿9,010

$830 Ft 268.3K

-67.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 ฿3,576

$622 Ft 200.9K

-82.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-54.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ฿13.3K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-66.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.0K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-67.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,584 ฿52.9K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-59.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 ฿15.1K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-72.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

6.45

-1.40%

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

Last update for Hat Yai: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hat Yai

$249 34.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 3.5% $8.7

Accommodation & Living

Hat Yai

$107 14.7%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 481% $515

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hat Yai

$106 14.5%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 106% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Hat Yai

$104 14.3%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 60.6% $63

Eating Out

Hat Yai

$92 12.6%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 142% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Hat Yai

$63 8.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 37% $23

Getting Around

Hat Yai

$9.2 * 1.3%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 382% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $270 in Hat Yai 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 266% 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 $44.00 in Hat Yai versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $258 – making Hat Yai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Hat Yai

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

02:32 2:32 AM

21:32 9:32 PM

5 h behind Hat Yai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,802

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hat Yai Budapest 8,790 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Hat Yai
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

Hat Yai vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 122%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,096 per month in Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai, 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 $44.00 in Hat Yai and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hat Yai, where all-in costs run around $731, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Hat Yai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hat Yai – 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 Hat Yai. 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.