Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Chaozhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Chaozhou: $642 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Chaozhou
Learn more

Chaozhou Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Chaozhou

🇨🇳 China

$642

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Chaozhou

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $642 in Chaozhou, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Chaozhou $642

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,047 in Chaozhou, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Chaozhou $1,047

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $1,451 in Chaozhou, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Chaozhou $1,451

Budapest costs about 156% more than Chaozhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Chaozhou is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$2.26 ¥15.10

521.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$23.63 ¥158

157.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$3.54 ¥23.65

192.94%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$1.52 ¥10.18

127.63%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$0.49 ¥3.29

322.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$0.29 ¥1.93

510.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$1.17 ¥7.83

215.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$2.87 ¥19.20

32.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.52 ¥10.19

-23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.48 ¥9.88

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$0.73 ¥4.87

228.77%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$1.16 ¥7.74

243.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$9.61 ¥64.2

18.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$2.52 ¥16.85

172.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$11.99 ¥80.1

20.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$2.20 ¥14.74

-14.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$0.94 ¥6.29

127.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$0.92 ¥6.16

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$1.76 ¥11.77

129.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$0.62 ¥4.15

64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.47 ¥3.15

110.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$0.43 ¥2.88

267.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.31 ¥2.08

125.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$2.95 ¥19.76

172.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$11.03 ¥73.8

-43.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$0.72 ¥4.84

72.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$1.17 ¥7.84

76.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$0.29 ¥1.92

448.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$18.02 ¥121

52.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$1.00 ¥6.71

243.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$0.29 ¥1.91

358.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$7.03 ¥47.02

190.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.24 ¥8.26

55.65%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$19.4K ¥129.6K

50.33%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$17.7K ¥118.1K

96.62%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$43.79 ¥293

298.70%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$4.32 ¥28.86

446.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$11.32 ¥75.7

108.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$41.24 ¥276

66.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$15.04 ¥101

28.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$6.36 ¥42.53

62.11%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$483 ¥3,231

10.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$24.7K ¥165.0K

-31.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$13.41 ¥89.7

644.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$28.46 ¥190

52.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$88.1 ¥589

26.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$60.0 ¥401

98.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$300 ¥2,003

177.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$179 ¥1,200

250.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$624 ¥4,169

154.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$376 ¥2,513

218.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$3,524 ¥23.6K

62.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,951 ¥13.0K

102.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$490 ¥3,279

249.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.46

86.42%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chaozhou: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Chaozhou

$179 28% 71.5% $450

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Chaozhou

$180 28.1% 31.1% $81

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Chaozhou

$62 9.6% 72.8% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Chaozhou

$59 9.3% 73.2% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Chaozhou

$85 13.3% 49.2% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Chaozhou

$54 8.4% 39.7% $36

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Chaozhou

$22 3.4% 50.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $300 in Chaozhou. 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 249% 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 $24.00 in Chaozhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $180 – making Chaozhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇳 Chaozhou

🕒 Local time

05:00 5:00 AM

11:00 11:00 AM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

2,568,387

💱 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 23, 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 23, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Chaozhou 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Chaozhou

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 Chaozhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 156%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $963 in Chaozhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 53% less in Chaozhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $483 in Chaozhou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chaozhou, where all-in costs run around $642, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Chaozhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chaozhou – 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 Chaozhou. 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.