Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Chiayi

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiayi: $1,067 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Chiayi
Learn more

Chiayi Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Chiayi

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Chiayi

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,067 in Chiayi, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Chiayi $1,067

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,503 in Chiayi, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Chiayi $1,503

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,940 in Chiayi, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Chiayi $1,940

Budapest costs about 52% more than Chiayi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Chiayi is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$4.83 NT$157

188.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$46.84 NT$1,519

30.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.70 NT$185

78.77%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.36 NT$109

-2.98%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.88 NT$28.58

143.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.67 NT$21.68

165.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.85 NT$92.4

30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.80 NT$123

-0.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$3.10 NT$101

-62.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$2.06 NT$66.8

-13.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$3.04 NT$98.6

-18.09%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.66 NT$86.3

46.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$19.77 NT$641

-43.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$9.75 NT$316

-32.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$20.98 NT$680

-29.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$4.87 NT$158

-62.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$3.22 NT$104

-36.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.99 NT$97.0

-20.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$4.55 NT$148

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.80 NT$90.9

-64.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$2.35 NT$76.3

-57.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.68 NT$54.3

-5.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$1.14 NT$37.04

-41.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$4.01 NT$130

98.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$4.66 NT$151

33.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.65 NT$53.7

-23.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.18 NT$70.8

-6.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$12.43 NT$403

125.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.64 NT$85.5

25.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.46 NT$14.94

197.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$9.66 NT$313

105.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.06 NT$34.43

71.70%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$32.9K NT$1.1M

-9.30%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$24.5K NT$795.8K

37.78%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$66.7 NT$2,164

156.40%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$17.52 NT$568

34.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$26.93 NT$873

-13.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$31.82 NT$1,032

112.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$9.84 NT$319

-5.49%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$660 NT$21.4K

-19.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$16.8K NT$543.4K

0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$62.3 NT$2,020

59.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$39.44 NT$1,279

10.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$85.2 NT$2,763

29.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$104 NT$3,383

14.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$369 NT$12.0K

124.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$253 NT$8,194

146.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$3,179 NT$103.1K

83.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,910 NT$61.9K

103.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$2,110 NT$68.4K

-21.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

2.4

168.75%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Chiayi

$253 23.7% 59.4% $369

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Chiayi

$379 35.5% 47.1% $121

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Chiayi

$124 11.6% 44.3% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Chiayi

$111 10.4% 49% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Chiayi

$131 12.3% 21.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Chiayi

$51 4.8% 40.2% $35

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Chiayi

$17 * 1.6% 60.7% $27

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 $369 in Chiayi. 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 28% higher in Chiayi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $47.00 in Chiayi. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $379 in Chiayi – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇼 Chiayi

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

13:27 1:27 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

269,874

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Chiayi 8,910 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Chiayi

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 Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,601 in Chiayi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 125% less in Chiayi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $660 in Chiayi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiayi, where all-in costs run around $1,067, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Chiayi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiayi – 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 Chiayi. 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.