Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Beijing (Pekin): $1,178 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,178

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,178 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,178
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,895 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,895
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,612 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,612
Budapest $3,489

Beijing (Pekin) is about 27% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Beijing (Pekin) sits 12% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 ¥30.39

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-67.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.25 ¥196

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-51.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 ¥35.59

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-46.59%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ¥23.57

$3.38 Ft 1,102

4.14%

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

$0.53 ¥3.56

$2.13 Ft 693

-75.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$1.87 Ft 609

-85.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.18

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-67.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.15

$3.57 Ft 1,163

-53.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.13 Ft 369

47.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.81

$1.84 Ft 600

-3.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$2.39 Ft 777

-46.03%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥13.68

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-46.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.52 ¥97.2

$11.33 Ft 3,689

28.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ¥21.46

$6.74 Ft 2,194

-52.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥75.2

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-23.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.96

$1.84 Ft 598

13.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.52

$2.01 Ft 654

-14.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ¥13.44

$2.36 Ft 767

-14.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.38

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-58.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.52

$0.96 Ft 314

-30.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.70

$1.03 Ft 335

-17.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ¥4.96

$1.56 Ft 509

-52.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.14

$0.66 Ft 216

-6.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 ¥29.57

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-44.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 ¥92.7

$6.01 Ft 1,956

130.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥6.88

$1.30 Ft 422

-20.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.11

$2.08 Ft 677

-12.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 ¥4.31

$1.50 Ft 490

-57.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.88 ¥234

$27.61 Ft 8,991

26.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 ¥13.25

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$1.30 Ft 424

-73.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 ¥51.2

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-61.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.81 Ft 591

-29.83%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-33.19%

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

$18.1K ¥121.4K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-46.84%

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

$59.0 ¥395

$170 Ft 55.3K

-65.28%

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

$8.94 ¥59.9

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-62.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.15 ¥94.7

$23.42 Ft 7,628

-39.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥273

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-38.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.56 ¥164

$19.18 Ft 6,245

28.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.38 ¥49.37

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-22.48%

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

$650 ¥4,353

$537 Ft 174.8K

21.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.8K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

47.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 ¥471

$101 Ft 33.0K

-30.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.51 ¥271

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-5.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 ¥586

$113 Ft 36.7K

-22.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 ¥830

$119 Ft 38.7K

4.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,246

$805 Ft 262.2K

15.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$518 ¥3,469

$629 Ft 204.9K

-17.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,387 ¥16.0K

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

54.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 ¥7,654

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-2.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.6K ¥84.1K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

123.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,393 ¥42.8K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

61.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,710 ¥11.4K

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

5.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.21

6.43

-50.08%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$518 44%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 21.4% $111

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$228 19.4%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 13% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$145 12.3%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 16.5% $24

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$107 9.1%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 109% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 7%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 165% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 53.6% $30

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 5.4% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Beijing (Pekin) 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 5% higher in Beijing (Pekin), which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $258 – making Beijing (Pekin) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

6 h behind Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 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 CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Beijing (Pekin) Budapest 7,340 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Beijing (Pekin)
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

Beijing (Pekin) vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,768 per month in Beijing (Pekin) 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 Beijing (Pekin), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Beijing (Pekin) and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,178 in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,621 in Budapest. That's a gap of about 38%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Beijing (Pekin), where all-in costs run around $1,178, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Beijing (Pekin) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Beijing (Pekin) – 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 Beijing (Pekin). 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.