Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surin and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Surin: $869 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.

Surin
🇹🇭 Thailand
$869
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $869 per month in Surin vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Surin $869
  • Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $1,444 per month in Surin vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Surin $1,444
  • Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $2,018 per month in Surin vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Surin $2,018
  • Budapest $3,483

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Surin
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.03 ฿101
$14.04 Ft 4,536
-78.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.70 ฿826
$60.9 Ft 19.7K
-59.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.23 ฿242
$10.37 Ft 3,351
-30.28%
Cappuccino
$1.74 ฿58.3
$3.46 Ft 1,117
-49.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.61 ฿20.30
$2.07 Ft 669
-70.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ฿10.89
$1.77 Ft 572
-81.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.20 ฿73.5
$3.69 Ft 1,191
-40.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 ฿114
$3.80 Ft 1,229
-10.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Surin
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 ฿52.4
$1.16 Ft 374
35.34%
White Bread (500g)
$1.31 ฿43.79
$1.85 Ft 598
-29.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 ฿48.98
$2.40 Ft 776
-38.75%
Eggs
$1.90 ฿63.5
$3.99 Ft 1,289
-52.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.41 ฿582
$11.40 Ft 3,683
52.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.48 ฿83.0
$6.87 Ft 2,221
-63.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.89 ฿297
$14.49 Ft 4,682
-38.65%
Apples (1kg)
$2.57 ฿86.0
$1.88 Ft 607
36.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.02 ฿34.23
$2.14 Ft 693
-52.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.48 ฿82.9
$2.30 Ft 744
7.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.5
$4.04 Ft 1,304
-49.26%
Potato (1kg)
$1.44 ฿48.20
$1.02 Ft 329
41.18%
Onion (1kg)
$0.95 ฿31.77
$0.99 Ft 320
-4.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.94 ฿31.37
$1.58 Ft 510
-40.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44 ฿14.59
$0.70 Ft 225
-37.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 ฿143
$8.03 Ft 2,594
-46.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.36 ฿547
$6.18 Ft 1,997
164.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 ฿52.4
$1.24 Ft 401
26.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 ฿100
$2.06 Ft 666
46.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Surin
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.92 ฿30.79
$1.59 Ft 513
-42.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.52 Ft 8,893
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.37 ฿45.65
$3.43 Ft 1,110
-60.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.73
$1.33 Ft 431
-24.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.04 ฿202
$20.45 Ft 6,607
-70.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 ฿45.06
$1.93 Ft 624
-30.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.7K ฿758.4K
$29.1K Ft 9.4M
-22.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K ฿904.4K
$34.7K Ft 11.2M
-22.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surin
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.8 ฿2,601
$175 Ft 56.4K
-55.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.53 ฿385
$23.62 Ft 7,631
-51.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.68 ฿624
$23.60 Ft 7,625
-20.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Surin
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.58 ฿1,390
$68.8 Ft 22.2K
-39.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.45 ฿383
$19.26 Ft 6,224
-40.55%
Cinema Ticket
$6.51 ฿218
$10.31 Ft 3,333
-36.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Surin
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$628 ฿21.0K
$535 Ft 172.9K
17.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.1K ฿405.0K
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
-28.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Surin
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.1 ฿1,773
$99.9 Ft 32.3K
-46.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.95 ฿934
$43.27 Ft 14.0K
-35.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.3 ฿2,451
$112 Ft 36.1K
-34.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.0 ฿2,274
$119 Ft 38.4K
-42.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Surin
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$440 ฿14.7K
$832 Ft 268.8K
-47.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$273 ฿9,126
$629 Ft 203.3K
-56.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,185 ฿39.6K
$1,586 Ft 512.4K
-25.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$714 ฿23.9K
$1,197 Ft 386.6K
-40.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,730 ฿57.8K
$5,718 Ft 1.8M
-69.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,518 ฿50.7K
$3,947 Ft 1.3M
-61.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Surin
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,712 Ft 553.1K
-
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 Surin: 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
Surin
$273
Budapest
$629 130% $356
Groceries & Markets
Surin
$235
Budapest
$262 11.6% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surin
$108
Budapest
$222 105% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Surin
$100
Budapest
$168 68.1% $68
Eating Out
Surin
$88
Budapest
$226 156% $138
Sport & Entertainment
Surin
$55
Budapest
$89 63.9% $35
Getting Around
Surin
$10 *
Budapest
$44 335% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $440 in Surin 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Surin versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $262 – making Surin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Surin
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
03:22 3:22 AM
22:22 10:22 PM
5 h behind Surin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
40,104
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Surin Budapest 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Surin
  • 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
Surin vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Surin?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 89%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,303 per month in Surin and $2,461 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Surin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Surin or in Budapest?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Surin and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Surin and in Budapest?
Groceries cost about 12% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Surin or in Budapest?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Surin, where all-in costs run around $869, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Surin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Surin or Budapest more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Surin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Surin or Budapest?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Surin. 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.

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