Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $839 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $839 per month in Penang vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Penang $839
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,314 per month in Penang vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Penang $1,314
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,790 per month in Penang vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Penang $1,790
Budapest $3,489

Penang is about 48% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Penang sits 37% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.65

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-74.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 MYR 81.1

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-67.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.71

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-54.02%

Cappuccino

$3.04 MYR 12.42

$3.38 Ft 1,102

-10.06%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.98

$2.13 Ft 693

-65.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$1.87 Ft 609

-79.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 MYR 17.07

$3.75 Ft 1,222

11.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MYR 17.65

$3.57 Ft 1,163

21.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.72

$1.13 Ft 369

67.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$1.84 Ft 600

-41.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.24

$2.39 Ft 777

-25.94%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.11

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-41.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 MYR 56.0

$11.33 Ft 3,689

20.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 MYR 17.53

$6.74 Ft 2,194

-36.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 MYR 35.16

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-41.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MYR 12.43

$1.84 Ft 598

65.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.97

$2.01 Ft 654

-14.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 MYR 10.91

$2.36 Ft 767

13.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.01

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-61.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.47

$0.96 Ft 314

13.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.39

$1.03 Ft 335

3.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.67

$1.56 Ft 509

-26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$0.66 Ft 216

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MYR 18.89

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-41.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.29 MYR 78.9

$6.01 Ft 1,956

220.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 MYR 11.96

$1.30 Ft 422

125.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 MYR 21.95

$2.08 Ft 677

158.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$1.50 Ft 490

-66.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.30 MYR 50.3

$27.61 Ft 8,991

-55.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MYR 7.17

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-46.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.52

$1.30 Ft 424

-71.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 MYR 29.72

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-63.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MYR 3.86

$1.81 Ft 591

-48.07%

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

$41.0K MYR 167.4K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

39.65%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.6K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

2.24%

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

$36.55 MYR 149

$170 Ft 55.3K

-78.49%

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

$9.97 MYR 40.75

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-58.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.32 MYR 120

$23.42 Ft 7,628

25.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.81 MYR 159

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-41.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.98 MYR 20.35

$19.18 Ft 6,245

-74.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.92

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-48.84%

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

$430 MYR 1,757

$537 Ft 174.8K

-19.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-34.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 MYR 246

$101 Ft 33.0K

-40.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.26 MYR 144

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-17.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 MYR 341

$113 Ft 36.7K

-25.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 MYR 285

$119 Ft 38.7K

-41.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 MYR 1,643

$805 Ft 262.2K

-50.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 MYR 950

$629 Ft 204.9K

-63.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 MYR 2,537

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

-59.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,678

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-64.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,212 MYR 9,045

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-60.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,057 MYR 4,323

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-73.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$943 MYR 3,855

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

-41.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

6.43

-37.17%

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

Last update for Penang: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$258 30.1%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 0.2% $0.6

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$232 27.1%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 171% $397

Eating Out

Penang

$113 13.2%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 98.8% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$112 13.1%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 51% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.8%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 187% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.7%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 75.7% $37

Getting Around

Penang

$18 2.1%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 142% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $402 in Penang versus $805 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 72% 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 $20.00 in Penang versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $258 – making Penang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

13:05 1:05 PM

07:05 7:05 AM

6 h behind Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

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 = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Penang Budapest 8,910 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Penang
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

Penang vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,259 per month in Penang and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Penang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 124% less in Penang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $430 per month in Penang and $537 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 Penang, where all-in costs run around $839, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Penang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Penang – 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 Penang. 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.