Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Changchun

For one person, living is cheaper in Changchun: $912 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Changchun
Learn more

Changchun Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Changchun

🇨🇳 China

$912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Changchun

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $912 in Changchun, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Changchun $912

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,335 in Changchun, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Changchun $1,335

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,757 in Changchun, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Changchun $1,757

Budapest costs about 77% more than Changchun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Changchun is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,525

$2.95 ¥19.71

372.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.9K

$22.24 ¥149

175.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,307

$5.19 ¥34.69

96.34%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,060

$2.49 ¥16.66

30.92%

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

$2.14 Ft 694

$0.48 ¥3.20

345.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 579

$0.29 ¥1.94

513.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,204

$1.17 ¥7.82

217.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,223

$1.82 ¥12.19

107.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 372

$1.90 ¥12.70

-39.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 580

$1.22 ¥8.16

46.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 808

$1.45 ¥9.72

71.72%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,267

$1.84 ¥12.33

111.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,605

$34.91 ¥233

-68.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,149

$5.88 ¥39.33

12.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,769

$10.55 ¥70.6

39.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 594

$1.71 ¥11.44

7.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 664

$1.46 ¥9.79

40.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 769

$1.78 ¥11.88

33.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,266

$1.90 ¥12.68

105.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 322

$0.88 ¥5.87

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 323

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 514

$0.61 ¥4.10

159.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 217

$1.48 ¥9.89

-54.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,585

$3.65 ¥24.44

118.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,019

$20.59 ¥138

-69.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 413

$0.93 ¥6.21

36.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 658

$1.14 ¥7.60

78.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 492

$0.44 ¥2.92

245.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,098

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,075

$1.23 ¥8.26

169.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 444

$0.31 ¥2.11

341.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,438

$2.93 ¥19.57

576.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 591

$1.24 ¥8.30

46.77%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

$19.6K ¥130.9K

52.18%

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

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

$18.0K ¥120.1K

88.31%

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

$171 Ft 55.6K

$75.1 ¥502

127.80%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,634

$4.52 ¥30.24

420.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,563

$14.87 ¥99.5

56.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.9K

$38.44 ¥257

75.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,135

$4.21 ¥28.18

348.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,019

$6.86 ¥45.91

35.57%

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

$533 Ft 173.2K

$546 ¥3,650

-2.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$21.4K ¥143.2K

-21.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.3K

$74.2 ¥496

34.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.1K

$45.27 ¥303

-3.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.8K

$60.9 ¥407

81.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$71.0 ¥475

67.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 269.6K

$218 ¥1,459

280.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 201.9K

$251 ¥1,679

147.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 517.4K

$575 ¥3,847

177.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 380.0K

$310 ¥2,073

277.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,661 ¥11.1K

251.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,015 ¥6,789

283.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 536.1K

$965 ¥6,451

71.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.37

47.60%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Changchun: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Changchun

$251 27.5% 59.6% $371

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Changchun

$315 * 34.6% 22.1% $57

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Changchun

$82 9% 63.4% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Changchun

$95 10.4% 56.6% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Changchun

$113 12.4% 32.5% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Changchun

$52 5.7% 39.4% $34

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Changchun

$4.6 * 0.5% 89.7% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $218 in Changchun. 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 71% 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 $22.00 in Changchun. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $315 in Changchun – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇳 Changchun

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

13:45 1:45 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

9,066,906

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Changchun 7,560 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Changchun

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 Changchun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 77%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,368 in Changchun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Changchun, 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 $61.0 in Budapest and $22.00 in Changchun. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 22% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Changchun, where all-in costs run around $912, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Changchun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Changchun – 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 Changchun. 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.