Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Loei and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Loei: $915 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Loei
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Loei Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

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Loei

🇹🇭 Thailand

$915

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $915 per month in Loei vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Loei $915
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,493 per month in Loei vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Loei $1,493
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,070 per month in Loei vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Loei $2,070
Budapest $3,429

Loei is about 43% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Loei sits 32% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ฿98.1

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-78.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.08 ฿738

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-63.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 ฿226

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-33.46%

Cappuccino

$2.04 ฿68.2

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-37.42%

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

$0.74 ฿24.68

$2.14 Ft 690

-65.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.28

$1.78 Ft 577

-79.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 ฿67.7

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-45.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.3

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-23.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ฿58.4

$1.15 Ft 371

52.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.15

$1.79 Ft 578

-19.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.32

$2.49 Ft 804

-47.79%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.8

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-44.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.22 ฿542

$11.10 Ft 3,587

46.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.1

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-59.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 ฿340

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-30.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.83 Ft 591

62.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.56

$2.05 Ft 661

-49.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.3

$2.37 Ft 765

-6.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 ฿61.2

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-53.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 ฿49.51

$0.99 Ft 320

49.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.09

$1.00 Ft 322

11.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ฿37.26

$1.58 Ft 511

-29.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.67 Ft 216

-28.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿147

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-44.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.36 ฿580

$6.22 Ft 2,009

179.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿56.5

$1.27 Ft 411

33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ฿92.5

$2.03 Ft 654

36.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.88

$1.52 Ft 490

-43.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ฿43.52

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-60.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿36.20

$1.37 Ft 442

-21.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 ฿158

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-76.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿45.08

$1.82 Ft 589

-25.82%

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

$26.6K ฿888.2K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-10.81%

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

$26.4K ฿882.3K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-21.92%

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

$83.8 ฿2,802

$171 Ft 55.3K

-51.01%

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

$11.44 ฿382

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-51.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.35 ฿647

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-16.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.47 ฿1,587

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-29.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.92 ฿465

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-26.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.36 ฿212

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-31.61%

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

$574 ฿19.2K

$533 Ft 172.3K

7.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ฿362.4K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-35.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 ฿1,712

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-48.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.41 ฿983

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-32.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 ฿2,630

$110 Ft 35.7K

-28.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.2 ฿2,515

$119 Ft 38.4K

-36.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ฿14.6K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-47.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 ฿9,801

$622 Ft 200.9K

-52.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 ฿47.0K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-11.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 ฿24.2K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-38.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,942 ฿64.9K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-66.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,596 ฿53.3K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-58.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.45

-13.64%

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

Last update for Loei: 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

Loei

$293 32%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 112% $329

Groceries & Markets

Loei

$243 26.6%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 6.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Loei

$115 12.5%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 90.1% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Loei

$106 11.5%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 58.8% $62

Eating Out

Loei

$89 9.7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 152% $134

Sport & Entertainment

Loei

$60 6.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 43.1% $26

Getting Around

Loei

$10 * 1.1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 335% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $438 in Loei 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 $22.00 in Loei versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $258 – making Loei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Loei

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

19:55 7:55 PM

5 h behind Loei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,677

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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Between locations

Loei Budapest 8,040 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Loei
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

Loei vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 77%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,373 per month in Loei 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 Loei, 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 $22.00 in Loei 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 6% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Loei, where all-in costs run around $915, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Loei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Loei – 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 Loei. 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.