Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,638 in Budapest, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Budapest $1,638

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,553 in Budapest, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Budapest $2,553

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,467 in Budapest, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Budapest $3,467

Phuket is about 22% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$13.81 Ft 4,552

-67.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$61.5 Ft 20.3K

-47.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.16 Ft 3,349

-13.29%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$3.22 Ft 1,062

-12.11%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$2.06 Ft 680

-57.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.83 Ft 605

-73.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$3.60 Ft 1,188

-28.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.66 Ft 1,208

0.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.19 Ft 392

39.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.87 Ft 617

-21.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.37 Ft 780

-36.71%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.96 Ft 1,305

-47.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$11.16 Ft 3,680

70.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.76 Ft 2,228

-51.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$14.35 Ft 4,731

-23.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.81 Ft 596

61.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$2.11 Ft 695

-19.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.33 Ft 770

-3.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$3.80 Ft 1,254

-45.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.99 Ft 327

52.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.98 Ft 324

40.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.55 Ft 512

-30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.70 Ft 230

-25.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$7.79 Ft 2,569

-46.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$6.05 Ft 1,995

210.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.28 Ft 421

42.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.04 Ft 672

39.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.55 Ft 511

-6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$27.28 Ft 8,995

107.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.30 Ft 1,087

-8.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.31 Ft 433

-22.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$20.26 Ft 6,679

-81.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.82 Ft 600

-19.23%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

-6.77%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

-19.31%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$172 Ft 56.8K

-44.04%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$23.95 Ft 7,897

-52.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$23.31 Ft 7,685

-27.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

-1.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$18.91 Ft 6,235

-43.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$10.18 Ft 3,356

-26.33%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$600 Ft 197.9K

-20.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

-32.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

-37.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$43.25 Ft 14.3K

-34.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$113 Ft 37.2K

-16.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$117 Ft 38.6K

-26.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$836 Ft 275.6K

-14.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$640 Ft 210.9K

-23.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,598 Ft 526.9K

20.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,205 Ft 397.3K

18.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

-25.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

-19.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$1,671 Ft 551.1K

-69.95%

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 Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Budapest

$640 39.1% 30.3% $149

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 3% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Budapest

$219 13.4% 76.3% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Budapest

$168 10.2% 37.5% $46

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Budapest

$221 13.5% 81.2% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Budapest

$89 5.4% 8.2% $6.7

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 38.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $836 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 in Budapest are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $61 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

21:26 9:26 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 330 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Budapest 8,560 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
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

Phuket vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,457 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 52% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $600 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 Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Budapest at $1,638. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $1,638 in Budapest. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.