Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Khon Kaen and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Khon Kaen: $613 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Khon Kaen
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Khon Kaen Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Khon Kaen

🇹🇭 Thailand

$613

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $613 per month in Khon Kaen vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Khon Kaen $613
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,029 per month in Khon Kaen vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Khon Kaen $1,029
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,444 per month in Khon Kaen vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Khon Kaen $1,444
Budapest $3,429

Khon Kaen is about 62% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Khon Kaen sits 55% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ฿99.7

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-78.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.88 ฿999

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-51.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 ฿202

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-40.82%

Cappuccino

$1.46 ฿48.84

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-55.21%

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

$0.59 ฿19.67

$2.14 Ft 690

-72.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ฿8.92

$1.78 Ft 577

-84.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-53.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 ฿226

$3.77 Ft 1,217

79.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.49 Ft 804

-64.66%

Eggs

$2.47 ฿82.6

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-36.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 ฿30.82

$2.05 Ft 661

-55.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.83

$2.37 Ft 765

-38.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.1

$1.00 Ft 322

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ฿20.51

$1.58 Ft 511

-61.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.41

$0.67 Ft 216

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿56.4

$1.27 Ft 411

33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 ฿40.47

$1.37 Ft 442

-11.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.66

$1.82 Ft 589

-26.37%

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

$45.1K ฿1.5M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

51.35%

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

$26.8K ฿895.5K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-20.75%

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

$94.1 ฿3,146

$171 Ft 55.3K

-44.99%

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

$17.76 ฿594

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-24.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 ฿995

$23.29 Ft 7,526

27.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,022

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-10.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 ฿203

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-34.62%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,748 ฿292.3K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-47.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.67 ฿992

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-70.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.23 ฿1,177

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-18.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 ฿2,510

$110 Ft 35.7K

-31.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 ฿2,931

$119 Ft 38.4K

-26.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 ฿9,297

$830 Ft 268.3K

-66.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 ฿5,366

$622 Ft 200.9K

-74.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 ฿25.3K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-52.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.2K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-58.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

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

Last update for Khon Kaen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Khon Kaen

$161 26.2%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 287% $461

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Khon Kaen

$142 23.1%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 53.8% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Khon Kaen

$102 16.7%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 63.6% $65

Eating Out

Khon Kaen

$85 13.9%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 162% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Khon Kaen

$73 11.9%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 18.5% $13

Groceries & Markets

Khon Kaen

$45 * 7.3%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 479% $213

Getting Around

Khon Kaen

$6.1 * 1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 630% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $278 in Khon Kaen 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 $30.00 in Khon Kaen versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $45.00 vs $258 – making Khon Kaen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Khon Kaen

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

01:59 1:59 AM

20:59 8:59 PM

5 h behind Khon Kaen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,459

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 →

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Between locations

Khon Kaen Budapest 8,210 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Khon Kaen
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

Khon Kaen vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 164%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $920 per month in Khon Kaen 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 Khon Kaen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 479% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Khon Kaen and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Khon Kaen, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Khon Kaen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Khon Kaen – 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 Khon Kaen. 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.