Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Labuan and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Labuan: $1,020 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Labuan
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Labuan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Labuan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,020 per month in Labuan vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Labuan $1,020
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,487 per month in Labuan vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Labuan $1,487
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,953 per month in Labuan vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Labuan $1,953
Budapest $3,429

Labuan is about 37% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Labuan sits 24% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 MYR 22.53

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-60.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.16 MYR 98.6

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-60.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 MYR 27.19

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-34.64%

Cappuccino

$3.93 MYR 16.05

$3.26 Ft 1,055

20.55%

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

$1.06 MYR 4.34

$2.14 Ft 690

-50.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$1.78 Ft 577

-74.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 MYR 15.19

$3.71 Ft 1,198

0.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 MYR 18.48

$3.77 Ft 1,217

20.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.43

$1.15 Ft 371

58.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$1.79 Ft 578

-41.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.07

$2.49 Ft 804

-40.16%

Eggs

$2.10 MYR 8.58

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-46.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.82 MYR 68.6

$11.10 Ft 3,587

51.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.42 MYR 18.03

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-33.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 MYR 38.76

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-35.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.95

$1.83 Ft 591

73.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.46

$2.05 Ft 661

-10.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 MYR 9.75

$2.37 Ft 765

0.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.17

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-54.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$0.99 Ft 320

40.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MYR 4.20

$1.00 Ft 322

3.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$1.58 Ft 511

-25.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.20

$0.67 Ft 216

-19.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 MYR 20.57

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-36.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 MYR 66.5

$6.22 Ft 2,009

161.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 MYR 13.11

$1.27 Ft 411

152.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MYR 17.90

$2.03 Ft 654

116.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$1.52 Ft 490

-48.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.66 MYR 43.48

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-61.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MYR 5.47

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-59.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.97

$1.37 Ft 442

-64.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 MYR 26.43

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-67.32%

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)

$44.0K MYR 179.5K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

47.66%

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

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-3.79%

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

$48.90 MYR 199

$171 Ft 55.3K

-71.42%

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

$9.68 MYR 39.49

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-58.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.69 MYR 113

$23.29 Ft 7,526

18.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.60 MYR 170

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-38.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.68 MYR 31.32

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-59.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 MYR 17.51

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-53.87%

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

$208 MYR 849

$533 Ft 172.3K

-61.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,011 MYR 28.6K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-58.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 MYR 228

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-43.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.07 MYR 123

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-30.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 MYR 355

$110 Ft 35.7K

-21.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 MYR 334

$119 Ft 38.4K

-31.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 MYR 1,768

$830 Ft 268.3K

-47.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 MYR 1,397

$622 Ft 200.9K

-44.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MYR 2,614

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-59.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 MYR 1,892

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-60.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,282 MYR 9,308

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-60.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 MYR 4,636

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-70.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$374 MYR 1,525

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-77.36%

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 Labuan: 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

Labuan

$342 33.6%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 81.6% $279

Groceries & Markets

Labuan

$264 25.9%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 2.3% $6.2

Eating Out

Labuan

$145 14.2%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 53.7% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Labuan

$115 11.2%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 46.2% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Labuan

$86 8.5%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 153% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Labuan

$50 4.9%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 71.6% $36

Getting Around

Labuan

$18 1.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 153% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $433 in Labuan 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 342% 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 Labuan versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Labuan vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Labuan

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

12:40 12:40 PM

06:40 6:40 AM

6 h behind Labuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,120

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 19, 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 19, 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 →

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Between locations

Labuan Budapest 10,040 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Labuan
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

Labuan vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,530 per month in Labuan 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 Labuan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 163% less in Labuan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $208 per month in Labuan 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 Labuan, where all-in costs run around $1,020, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Labuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Labuan – 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 Labuan. 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.