Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarawak: $933 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sarawak
Learn more

Sarawak Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $933 per month in Sarawak vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Sarawak $933
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Sarawak vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Sarawak $1,391
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $1,849 per month in Sarawak vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Sarawak $1,849
Budapest $3,483

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

Sarawak sits 31% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 MYR 14.88

$14.04 Ft 4,536

-74.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.77 MYR 80.6

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-67.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 MYR 19.38

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-54.19%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MYR 11.74

$3.46 Ft 1,117

-16.76%

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

$0.81 MYR 3.29

$2.07 Ft 669

-60.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.61

$1.77 Ft 572

-77.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 MYR 14.68

$3.69 Ft 1,191

-2.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.81

$3.80 Ft 1,229

21.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.58

$1.16 Ft 374

60.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$1.85 Ft 598

-43.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.04

$2.40 Ft 776

-38.33%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.32

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-48.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 MYR 56.5

$11.40 Ft 3,683

21.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 MYR 17.54

$6.87 Ft 2,221

-37.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 MYR 38.47

$14.49 Ft 4,682

-34.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MYR 12.83

$1.88 Ft 607

67.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.97

$2.14 Ft 693

-20.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 MYR 10.22

$2.30 Ft 744

9.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.55

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-60.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 MYR 5.18

$1.02 Ft 329

24.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$0.99 Ft 320

16.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.79

$1.58 Ft 510

-25.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.18

$0.70 Ft 225

-24.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 MYR 18.52

$8.03 Ft 2,594

-43.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 MYR 78.0

$6.18 Ft 1,997

209.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 MYR 12.01

$1.24 Ft 401

137.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$2.06 Ft 666

118.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$1.59 Ft 513

-55.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 MYR 49.57

$27.52 Ft 8,893

-55.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-63.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$1.33 Ft 431

-61.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.21 MYR 29.41

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-64.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.34

$1.93 Ft 624

-57.51%

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

$42.2K MYR 172.1K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

44.80%

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

$34.8K MYR 141.8K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

0.11%

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

$48.56 MYR 198

$175 Ft 56.4K

-72.19%

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

$9.65 MYR 39.38

$23.62 Ft 7,631

-59.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.71 MYR 113

$23.60 Ft 7,625

17.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.76 MYR 166

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-40.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.10 MYR 28.98

$19.26 Ft 6,224

-63.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 20.05

$10.31 Ft 3,333

-52.28%

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

$190 MYR 775

$535 Ft 172.9K

-64.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,067 MYR 28.8K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-58.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MYR 232

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-43.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 MYR 141

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-20.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 MYR 325

$112 Ft 36.1K

-28.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 MYR 310

$119 Ft 38.4K

-36.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,674

$832 Ft 268.8K

-50.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 MYR 1,219

$629 Ft 203.3K

-52.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 MYR 2,742

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

-57.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MYR 1,946

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

-60.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,042 MYR 8,329

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-64.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,074 MYR 4,381

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-72.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$339 MYR 1,381

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

-80.23%

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 Sarawak: October 18, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarawak

$299 32%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 111% $331

Groceries & Markets

Sarawak

$258 27.6%

Budapest

$262 16% 1.6% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Sarawak

$111 11.9%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 51.4% $57

Eating Out

Sarawak

$110 11.8%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 106% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarawak

$86 9.2%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 158% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Sarawak

$51 5.4%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 76.9% $39

Getting Around

Sarawak

$19 2%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 134% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $410 in Sarawak versus $832 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 406% 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 Sarawak versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $262 – making Sarawak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

16:39 4:39 PM

6 h behind Sarawak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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 20, 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 20, 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sarawak Budapest 9,960 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Sarawak
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

Sarawak vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 76%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,399 per month in Sarawak and $2,461 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 127% less in Sarawak. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $190 per month in Sarawak and $535 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarawak, where all-in costs run around $933, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Sarawak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sarawak – 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 Sarawak. 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.