Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pathein and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Pathein: $1,021 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.

41

Cost of Living Index in Pathein
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Pathein Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Pathein

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$1,021

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,021 per month in Pathein vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Pathein $1,021
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,830 per month in Pathein vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Pathein $1,830
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,639 per month in Pathein vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Pathein $2,639
Budapest $3,429

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.48 MMK 3,095

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-89.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.79 MMK 41.4K

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-67.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 MMK 16.7K

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-21.79%

Cappuccino

$1.47 MMK 3,082

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-54.91%

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

$0.52 MMK 1,098

$2.14 Ft 690

-75.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 MMK 1,078

$1.78 Ft 577

-71.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 MMK 3,108

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-60.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MMK 2,048

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-74.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 MMK 3,047

$1.79 Ft 578

-18.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 MMK 6,249

$2.49 Ft 804

19.68%

Eggs

$2.47 MMK 5,165

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-36.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$40.74 MMK 85.3K

$11.10 Ft 3,587

267.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 MMK 12.4K

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-10.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.06 MMK 16.9K

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-45.13%

Apples (1kg)

$10.02 MMK 21.0K

$1.83 Ft 591

447.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

Oranges (1kg)

$10.08 MMK 21.1K

$2.37 Ft 765

325.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 MMK 10.3K

$3.90 Ft 1,260

25.90%

Potato (1kg)

$4.07 MMK 8,530

$0.99 Ft 320

311.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MMK 4,217

$1.00 Ft 322

101.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 MMK 1,098

$1.58 Ft 511

-67.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 MMK 6,185

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-62.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.03 MMK 41.9K

$6.22 Ft 2,009

222.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 MMK 3,094

$1.27 Ft 411

16.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 MMK 4,152

$2.03 Ft 654

-2.46%

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)

$1.02 MMK 2,145

$1.37 Ft 442

-25.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 MMK 6,222

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-85.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 MMK 4,161

$1.82 Ft 589

9.34%

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

$32.5K MMK 68.0M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

9.05%

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

$31.4K MMK 65.7M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-7.12%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

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

$20.30 MMK 42.5K

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-13.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.18 MMK 21.3K

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-56.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$151 MMK 316.3K

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

123.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 MMK 4,298

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-77.96%

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

$396 MMK 829.8K

$533 Ft 172.3K

-25.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,748 MMK 9.9M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-71.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.34 MMK 42.6K

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-79.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.75 MMK 30.9K

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-66.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.03 MMK 102.7K

$110 Ft 35.7K

-55.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.1 MMK 125.8K

$119 Ft 38.4K

-49.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 MMK 840.1K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-51.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 MMK 631.0K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-51.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 MMK 2.3M

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-31.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$984 MMK 2.1M

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-15.89%

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 Pathein: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pathein

$397 * 38.9%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 35% $139

Accommodation & Living

Pathein

$301 29.5%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 106% $321

Sport & Entertainment

Pathein

$155 15.2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 44.5% $69

Eating Out

Pathein

$67 6.6%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 233% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Pathein

$65 6.4%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 158% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pathein

$30 * 3%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 615% $187

Getting Around

Pathein

$5.1 * 0.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 764% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $401 in Pathein 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 $20.00 in Pathein versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $397 in Pathein vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇲 Pathein

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

03:23 3:23 AM

4 h 30 min behind Pathein

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

315,600

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.25 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to MMK – Myanmar Kyat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇲 Myanmar Kyat (K)

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,354 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.25 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 MMK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pathein Budapest 7,570 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Pathein
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

Pathein 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 $1,532 per month in Pathein 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 Pathein, 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 $20.00 in Pathein and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 54% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pathein, where all-in costs run around $1,021, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Pathein it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pathein – 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 Pathein. 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.