Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Chengdu

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $734 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 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 Chengdu
Learn more

Chengdu Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Chengdu

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $734 in Chengdu, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Chengdu $734

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,211 in Chengdu, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Chengdu $1,211

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,688 in Chengdu, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Chengdu $1,688

Budapest costs about 121% more than Chengdu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Chengdu is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$2.86 ¥19.11

389.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$22.31 ¥149

170.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$4.89 ¥32.71

103.68%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.99 ¥19.96

13.04%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.51 ¥3.40

317.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.28 ¥1.89

567.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$1.46 ¥9.74

156.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$2.18 ¥14.55

63.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.84 ¥12.28

-38.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.55 ¥10.36

18.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$0.98 ¥6.58

143.88%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$1.57 ¥10.47

143.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$14.17 ¥94.7

-20.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$3.71 ¥24.76

81.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$11.12 ¥74.3

32.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$1.87 ¥12.52

-1.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.31 ¥8.73

53.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.10 ¥7.34

114.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.14 ¥7.59

230.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$0.75 ¥5.03

28.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$0.68 ¥4.56

51.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.63 ¥4.19

147.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.55 ¥3.66

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$3.83 ¥25.59

107.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$4.60 ¥30.71

30.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$0.82 ¥5.45

58.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$1.46 ¥9.77

42.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.44 ¥2.93

240.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$24.70 ¥165

11.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$1.36 ¥9.09

142.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.31 ¥2.09

319.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$4.38 ¥29.26

351.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.30 ¥8.69

39.23%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$19.5K ¥130.6K

50.09%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$17.1K ¥114.1K

99.82%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$47.43 ¥317

258.30%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$9.39 ¥62.8

155.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$12.51 ¥83.6

87.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$27.41 ¥183

141.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$11.30 ¥75.5

69.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$6.14 ¥41.05

55.05%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$376 ¥2,516

42.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$14.9K ¥99.8K

11.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$25.02 ¥167

305.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$28.00 ¥187

53.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$57.3 ¥383

96.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$52.7 ¥352

125.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$471 ¥3,145

71.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$257 ¥1,716

145.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$819 ¥5,472

89.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$536 ¥3,580

117.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$3,708 ¥24.8K

51.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,928 ¥12.9K

105.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$1,277 ¥8,531

27.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.38

90.24%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Chengdu

$257 34.2% 59.2% $372

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Chengdu

$195 25.9% 24.4% $63

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Chengdu

$88 11.7% 60.7% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Chengdu

$69 9.2% 68.1% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Chengdu

$73 9.8% 56.6% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Chengdu

$40 5.3% 53.4% $46

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Chengdu

$29 3.9% 32.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $471 in Chengdu. 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 27% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $22.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $195 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

15:02 3:02 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

20,937,757

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Chengdu 7,200 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 Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 121%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,101 in Chengdu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 12% less in Chengdu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $376 in Chengdu. 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 Chengdu, where all-in costs run around $734, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Chengdu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chengdu – 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 Chengdu. 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.