Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Beihai

For one person, living is cheaper in Beihai: $744 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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 Beihai
Learn more

Beihai Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Beihai

🇨🇳 China

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Beihai

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 Beihai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $744 in Beihai, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Beihai $744

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,167 in Beihai, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Beihai $1,167

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,590 in Beihai, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Beihai $1,590

Budapest costs about 118% more than Beihai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Beihai is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,525

$3.40 ¥22.75

310.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.9K

$19.56 ¥131

212.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,307

$5.58 ¥37.31

82.62%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,060

$2.43 ¥16.28

34.16%

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

$2.14 Ft 694

$0.46 ¥3.09

365.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 579

$0.30 ¥1.99

493.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,204

$1.22 ¥8.14

204.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,223

$2.29 ¥15.34

64.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 372

$1.90 ¥12.69

-39.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 580

$1.70 ¥11.36

5.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 808

$1.10 ¥7.33

126.36%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,267

$1.87 ¥12.53

108.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,605

$13.95 ¥93.3

-20.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,149

$2.92 ¥19.54

126.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,769

$10.58 ¥70.8

38.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 594

$2.10 ¥14.03

-12.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 664

$1.48 ¥9.91

38.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 769

$1.52 ¥10.19

55.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,266

$1.27 ¥8.48

207.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 322

$0.74 ¥4.92

33.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 323

$0.97 ¥6.46

3.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 514

$0.67 ¥4.47

135.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 217

$0.50 ¥3.33

34.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,585

$3.39 ¥22.70

134.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,019

$12.05 ¥80.6

-48.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 413

$0.74 ¥4.95

71.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 658

$1.66 ¥11.10

22.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 492

$0.30 ¥2.02

406.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,098

$17.17 ¥115

63.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,075

$1.56 ¥10.42

112.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 444

$0.31 ¥2.08

341.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,438

$6.21 ¥41.53

219.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 591

$1.39 ¥9.31

30.94%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

$18.2K ¥121.6K

63.86%

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

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

$18.2K ¥121.9K

85.42%

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

$171 Ft 55.6K

$61.5 ¥411

178.11%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,634

$9.42 ¥63.0

149.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,563

$12.09 ¥80.9

92.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.9K

$40.99 ¥274

64.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,135

$14.01 ¥93.7

34.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,019

$5.71 ¥38.20

62.87%

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

$533 Ft 173.2K

$458 ¥3,065

16.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$18.3K ¥122.6K

-8.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.3K

$48.58 ¥325

105.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.1K

$38.03 ¥254

14.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.8K

$79.9 ¥534

38.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$79.0 ¥528

50.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 269.6K

$279 ¥1,863

198.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 201.9K

$178 ¥1,190

249.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 517.4K

$718 ¥4,804

121.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 380.0K

$332 ¥2,221

252.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$3,665 ¥24.5K

59.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$2,221 ¥14.9K

75.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 536.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.36

91.96%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Beihai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Beihai

$178 23.9% 71.4% $444

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Beihai

$212 28.5% 17.9% $46

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Beihai

$87 11.7% 61% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Beihai

$83 11.2% 61.9% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Beihai

$110 14.9% 34.1% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Beihai

$52 7% 39.1% $34

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Beihai

$22 2.9% 51.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $279 in Beihai. 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $20.00 in Beihai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $212 – making Beihai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇳 Beihai

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

13:45 1:45 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,617,500

💱 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 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 Beihai 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Beihai

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 Beihai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest costs about 118% more than Beihai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,116 in Beihai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 22% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $20.00 in Beihai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Beihai, where all-in costs run around $744, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Beihai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Beihai costs $744 versus $1,619 in Budapest. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Beihai. 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.