Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Baoji

For one person, living is cheaper in Baoji: $756 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Baoji
Learn more

Baoji Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Baoji

🇨🇳 China

$756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Baoji

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Budapest and in Baoji actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,619 in Budapest versus $756 in Baoji.

Budapest $1,619
Baoji $756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,524 in Budapest versus $1,139 in Baoji.

Budapest $2,524
Baoji $1,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,429 in Budapest versus $1,521 in Baoji.

Budapest $3,429
Baoji $1,521

Living in Budapest is roughly 114% more expensive than in Baoji, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Budapest is 20% above, Baoji is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,521

$2.74 ¥18.31

408.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.9K

$11.92 ¥79.6

413.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,304

$4.46 ¥29.80

128.48%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,059

$2.17 ¥14.53

50.23%

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

$2.14 Ft 693

$0.29 ¥1.92

637.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 579

$0.27 ¥1.80

559.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,203

$1.45 ¥9.71

155.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,222

$1.46 ¥9.79

158.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 372

$1.48 ¥9.87

-22.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 580

$1.75 ¥11.70

2.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 807

$0.91 ¥6.07

173.63%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,266

$0.86 ¥5.73

353.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,602

$11.71 ¥78.3

-5.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,147

$3.96 ¥26.49

67.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,764

$10.58 ¥70.7

38.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 594

$1.67 ¥11.16

9.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 664

$1.11 ¥7.44

84.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 769

$1.24 ¥8.27

91.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,265

$1.27 ¥8.51

207.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 322

$0.63 ¥4.22

57.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 323

$0.70 ¥4.68

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 513

$0.62 ¥4.16

154.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 217

$0.54 ¥3.64

24.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,582

$3.44 ¥22.98

131.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,017

$9.75 ¥65.1

-36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 413

$0.76 ¥5.09

67.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 657

$1.75 ¥11.71

16.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 492

$0.29 ¥1.95

424.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,089

$16.56 ¥111

69.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,074

$1.29 ¥8.61

156.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 444

$0.29 ¥1.92

372.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,432

$4.52 ¥30.16

338.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 591

$1.37 ¥9.15

32.85%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

$19.3K ¥129.3K

54.01%

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

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

$17.5K ¥117.0K

93.15%

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

$171 Ft 55.5K

$90.2 ¥603

89.71%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,627

$6.31 ¥42.14

272.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,556

$10.84 ¥72.4

114.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.9K

$46.46 ¥310

45.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,129

$13.18 ¥88.0

43.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,016

$5.81 ¥38.78

60.07%

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

$533 Ft 173.0K

$701 ¥4,682

-23.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$17.5K ¥117.1K

-4.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.3K

$39.43 ¥263

152.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.1K

$37.67 ¥252

15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.8K

$74.2 ¥496

48.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$91.5 ¥611

30.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 269.4K

$278 ¥1,856

198.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 201.7K

$196 ¥1,310

217.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 516.9K

$629 ¥4,204

153.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 379.6K

$350 ¥2,335

234.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$3,178 ¥21.2K

83.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,815 ¥12.1K

114.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 535.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.35

92.54%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Baoji: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Baoji

$196 25.9% 68.5% $426

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Baoji

$192 25.3% 25.7% $66

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Baoji

$74 9.8% 66.9% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Baoji

$107 14.2% 50.7% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Baoji

$109 14.4% 34.8% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Baoji

$58 7.7% 32.6% $28

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Baoji

$20 2.7% 53.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $830 in Budapest and $278 in Baoji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Budapest vs $12.00 in Baoji for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $192 per month, with Baoji cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇳 Baoji

🕒 Local time

08:02 8:02 AM

14:02 2:02 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,438,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Baoji 7,150 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Baoji

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

Budapest vs Baoji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baoji is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 114% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,428 in Budapest and $1,135 in Baoji to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $830 in Budapest versus $278 in Baoji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baoji runs roughly 69% less than in Budapest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $533 in Budapest versus $701 in Baoji. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $756 in Baoji versus $1,619 in Budapest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baoji but tight or insufficient in Budapest. The gap between the two cities makes Baoji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baoji is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Budapest, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Budapest and Baoji are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baoji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Budapest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.