Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kedah and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Kedah: $877 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Kedah
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Kedah Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Kedah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$877

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $877 per month in Kedah vs $1,638 in Budapest, rent included.

Kedah $877
Budapest $1,638

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Kedah vs $2,553 in Budapest, rent included.

Kedah $1,399
Budapest $2,553

A family of three spends $1,920 per month in Kedah vs $3,467 in Budapest, rent included.

Kedah $1,920
Budapest $3,467

Kedah is about 46% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kedah sits 36% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.19

$13.81 Ft 4,548

-73.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.32 MYR 50.4

$61.5 Ft 20.2K

-79.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 MYR 18.65

$10.16 Ft 3,345

-55.12%

Cappuccino

$2.91 MYR 11.90

$3.22 Ft 1,061

-9.63%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.15

$2.06 Ft 679

-62.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$1.83 Ft 604

-78.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.31

$3.60 Ft 1,187

17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MYR 17.80

$3.66 Ft 1,207

19.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.68

$1.19 Ft 392

57.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.33

$1.87 Ft 616

-43.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MYR 7.01

$2.37 Ft 779

-27.43%

Eggs

$2.19 MYR 8.94

$3.96 Ft 1,304

-44.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 MYR 55.4

$11.16 Ft 3,677

21.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 MYR 17.75

$6.76 Ft 2,226

-35.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.84 MYR 36.13

$14.35 Ft 4,727

-38.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 12.02

$1.81 Ft 595

62.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.67

$2.11 Ft 695

-22.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 MYR 11.24

$2.33 Ft 769

18.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.94

$3.80 Ft 1,253

-61.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 MYR 4.50

$0.99 Ft 327

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.45

$0.98 Ft 324

11.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.63

$1.55 Ft 511

-27.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.34

$0.70 Ft 229

-18.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MYR 18.89

$7.79 Ft 2,567

-40.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.76 MYR 76.7

$6.05 Ft 1,993

210.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 MYR 12.19

$1.28 Ft 421

132.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 MYR 21.79

$2.04 Ft 671

161.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$1.55 Ft 511

-50.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.85 MYR 52.5

$27.28 Ft 8,987

-52.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$3.30 Ft 1,086

-49.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.54

$1.31 Ft 433

-70.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 MYR 29.79

$20.26 Ft 6,673

-64.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 MYR 2.47

$1.82 Ft 599

-67.03%

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

$45.6K MYR 186.5K

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

58.88%

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

$35.8K MYR 146.5K

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

8.36%

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

$36.47 MYR 149

$172 Ft 56.7K

-78.82%

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

$9.66 MYR 39.47

$23.95 Ft 7,890

-59.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.48 MYR 120

$23.31 Ft 7,679

26.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.63 MYR 142

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

-49.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.85 MYR 28.01

$18.91 Ft 6,229

-63.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.79 MYR 19.59

$10.18 Ft 3,353

-52.95%

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

$388 MYR 1,584

$600 Ft 197.8K

-35.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MYR 43.6K

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

-36.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 MYR 241

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

-40.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.76 MYR 142

$43.25 Ft 14.2K

-19.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 MYR 334

$113 Ft 37.2K

-27.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.7 MYR 289

$117 Ft 38.6K

-39.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 MYR 1,462

$836 Ft 275.4K

-57.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 MYR 1,054

$640 Ft 210.7K

-59.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 MYR 2,911

$1,598 Ft 526.5K

-55.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 MYR 2,479

$1,205 Ft 396.9K

-49.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,930 MYR 7,889

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

-65.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,258 MYR 5,140

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

-66.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,339 MYR 5,473

$1,671 Ft 550.6K

-19.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

6.45

-37.36%

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

Last update for Kedah: October 25, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kedah

$258 29.4%

Budapest

$640 39.1% 148% $382

Groceries & Markets

Kedah

$257 29.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 0.7% $1.7

Eating Out

Kedah

$113 12.9%

Budapest

$221 13.5% 95.3% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Kedah

$111 12.6%

Budapest

$168 10.2% 51.4% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kedah

$76 8.6%

Budapest

$219 13.4% 190% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Kedah

$44 5%

Budapest

$89 5.4% 101% $45

Getting Around

Kedah

$19 2.2%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 123% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $358 in Kedah versus $836 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 25% 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 $12 in Kedah versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $258 – making Kedah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kedah

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

14:50 2:50 PM

7 h behind Kedah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

417,800

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 329 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kedah Budapest 8,850 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Kedah
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

Kedah vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,316 per month in Kedah and $2,457 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kedah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $358 there versus $836 in Budapest.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Kedah and $61 in Budapest. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Kedah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kedah, where all-in costs run around $877, than in Budapest at $1,638. In Kedah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kedah – 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 Kedah. 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.