Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibu and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibu: $866 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Sibu
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Sibu Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Sibu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$866

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $866 per month in Sibu vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Sibu $866
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $1,293 per month in Sibu vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Sibu $1,293
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $1,720 per month in Sibu vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Sibu $1,720
Budapest $3,483

Sibu is about 47% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sibu sits 36% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.16 MYR 8.82

$14.04 Ft 4,536

-84.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.47 MYR 79.4

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-68.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.21 MYR 17.18

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-59.40%

Cappuccino

$2.38 MYR 9.70

$3.46 Ft 1,117

-31.21%

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

$0.67 MYR 2.74

$2.07 Ft 669

-67.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 MYR 0.93

$1.77 Ft 572

-87.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MYR 11.92

$3.69 Ft 1,191

-20.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 MYR 17.96

$3.80 Ft 1,229

15.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MYR 7.33

$1.16 Ft 374

55.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 MYR 3.65

$1.85 Ft 598

-51.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.80

$2.40 Ft 776

-30.42%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.16

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-43.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 MYR 47.53

$11.40 Ft 3,683

2.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.84 MYR 15.66

$6.87 Ft 2,221

-44.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 MYR 39.55

$14.49 Ft 4,682

-33.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 MYR 15.16

$1.88 Ft 607

97.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.26

$2.14 Ft 693

-28.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MYR 9.55

$2.30 Ft 744

1.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.62

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-65.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.58

$1.02 Ft 329

9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.29

$0.99 Ft 320

31.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.76

$1.58 Ft 510

-25.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.22

$0.70 Ft 225

-22.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 MYR 18.48

$8.03 Ft 2,594

-43.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.28 MYR 74.6

$6.18 Ft 1,997

195.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 MYR 11.64

$1.24 Ft 401

129.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$2.06 Ft 666

118.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$1.59 Ft 513

-47.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.85 MYR 56.5

$27.52 Ft 8,893

-49.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 MYR 5.70

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-59.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 MYR 2.18

$1.33 Ft 431

-59.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.01 MYR 32.68

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-60.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.28

$1.93 Ft 624

-58.55%

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

$49.1K MYR 200.3K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

68.53%

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

$35.6K MYR 145.4K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

2.64%

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

$49.59 MYR 202

$175 Ft 56.4K

-71.60%

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

$7.14 MYR 29.14

$23.62 Ft 7,631

-69.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.47 MYR 108

$23.60 Ft 7,625

12.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.94 MYR 110

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-60.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.44 MYR 26.26

$19.26 Ft 6,224

-66.56%

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 MYR 15.24

$10.31 Ft 3,333

-63.72%

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

$181 MYR 739

$535 Ft 172.9K

-66.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,906 MYR 28.2K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-58.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 MYR 226

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-44.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.48 MYR 124

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-29.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 MYR 364

$112 Ft 36.1K

-20.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.2 MYR 307

$119 Ft 38.4K

-36.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 MYR 1,386

$832 Ft 268.8K

-59.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 MYR 1,150

$629 Ft 203.3K

-55.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 MYR 2,437

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

-62.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 MYR 1,841

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

-62.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,782 MYR 7,272

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-68.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$966 MYR 3,941

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-75.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 MYR 2,021

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

-71.06%

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 Sibu: 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

Sibu

$282 32.6%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 123% $347

Groceries & Markets

Sibu

$247 28.5%

Budapest

$262 16% 6.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Sibu

$113 13%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 49.3% $56

Eating Out

Sibu

$85 9.9%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 165% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sibu

$83 9.6%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 167% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Sibu

$34 4%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 160% $55

Getting Around

Sibu

$21 2.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 107% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $340 in Sibu 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 245% 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 $19.00 in Sibu versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $247 vs $262 – making Sibu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sibu

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

17:11 5:11 PM

6 h behind Sibu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

198,239

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

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Between locations

Sibu Budapest 10,030 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Sibu
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

Sibu vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,299 per month in Sibu 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 Sibu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 99% less in Sibu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $181 per month in Sibu and $535 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sibu, where all-in costs run around $866, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Sibu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sibu – 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 Sibu. 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.