Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Benxi

For one person, living is cheaper in Benxi: $710 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Benxi
Learn more

Benxi Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Benxi

🇨🇳 China

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Benxi

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $710 in Benxi, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Benxi $710

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,027 in Benxi, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Benxi $1,027

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,344 in Benxi, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Benxi $1,344

Budapest costs about 128% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Benxi is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$3.06 ¥20.47

355.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$22.56 ¥151

171.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.36 ¥35.83

90.11%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.42 ¥16.19

34.71%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.47 ¥3.14

355.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.29 ¥1.94

513.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$0.77 ¥5.16

381.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.75 ¥11.70

115.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.88 ¥12.58

-38.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.18 ¥7.91

51.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.86 ¥5.73

189.53%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.61 ¥10.73

142.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$9.96 ¥66.6

11.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$2.98 ¥19.92

122.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$8.87 ¥59.3

65.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.61 ¥10.74

13.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.40 ¥9.33

46.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.68 ¥11.23

41.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.37 ¥9.14

184.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.62 ¥4.15

59.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.84 ¥12.32

-45.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.62 ¥4.11

154.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.70 ¥4.69

-4.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.95 ¥19.73

169.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$8.36 ¥55.9

-25.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.63 ¥4.21

101.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.29 ¥8.61

57.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.31 ¥2.08

390.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$12.18 ¥81.4

130.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.93 ¥6.21

255.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.31 ¥2.09

341.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$3.03 ¥20.29

554.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.13 ¥7.55

61.06%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$19.1K ¥127.8K

55.91%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$17.6K ¥117.8K

91.85%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$54.5 ¥364

214.27%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$6.90 ¥46.10

240.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$10.40 ¥69.6

123.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$67.7 ¥452

-0.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$8.23 ¥55.1

129.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$5.81 ¥38.82

60.07%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$440 ¥2,941

21.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$8,949 ¥59.8K

87.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$30.00 ¥201

232.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$83.4 ¥558

-47.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$59.8 ¥399

84.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$52.0 ¥348

128.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$134 ¥899

517.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$181 ¥1,212

243.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$257 ¥1,718

520.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$149 ¥995

686.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$3,794 ¥25.4K

53.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,967 ¥13.2K

97.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$457 ¥3,055

261.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

61.25%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Benxi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Benxi

$181 25.5% 70.9% $441

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Benxi

$181 25.4% 29.9% $77

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Benxi

$80 11.3% 64.1% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Benxi

$72 10.1% 67.1% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Benxi

$101 14.3% 39.6% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Benxi

$79 11.2% 8% $6.9

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Benxi

$16 2.2% 64% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $134 in Benxi. 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 261% 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $23.00 in Benxi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $181 – making Benxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇳 Benxi

🕒 Local time

11:33 11:33 AM

17:33 5:33 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

809,655

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Benxi 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Benxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest costs about 128% more than Benxi, 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 $1,065 in Benxi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $440 in Benxi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Benxi, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Benxi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Benxi costs $710 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 Benxi. 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.