Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Douliu

For one person, living is cheaper in Douliu: $1,138 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Douliu
🇹🇼 Taiwan
$1,138
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Douliu

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,138 in Douliu, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Douliu $1,138

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,894 in Douliu, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Douliu $1,894

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,650 in Douliu, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Douliu $2,650

Budapest costs about 42% more than Douliu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Douliu is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Douliu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$3.85 NT$125
262.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$22.40 NT$726
173.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$5.81 NT$189
75.39%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$3.40 NT$110
-4.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$0.94 NT$30.58
127.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$0.67 NT$21.86
165.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$2.79 NT$90.4
32.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$3.73 NT$121
1.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Douliu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$3.09 NT$100
-62.78%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$2.01 NT$65.1
-10.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$3.17 NT$103
-21.45%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$2.76 NT$89.4
41.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$19.44 NT$631
-42.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$9.97 NT$323
-33.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$21.44 NT$695
-31.48%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$4.79 NT$155
-61.80%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$3.29 NT$107
-37.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$3.08 NT$99.9
-23.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$4.34 NT$141
-10.14%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$2.82 NT$91.3
-64.89%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$2.34 NT$75.9
-57.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$1.71 NT$55.6
-7.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$1.10 NT$35.65
-39.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$3.85 NT$125
106.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$14.46 NT$469
-56.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$1.63 NT$52.9
-22.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$2.31 NT$75.0
-12.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Douliu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$0.61 NT$19.89
149.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
$35.53 NT$1,152
-21.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
$2.66 NT$86.3
24.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
$0.77 NT$24.82
77.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
$9.46 NT$307
109.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
$1.03 NT$33.56
76.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$34.0K NT$1.1M
-12.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$24.0K NT$777.6K
41.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Douliu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$86.6 NT$2,807
97.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$17.15 NT$556
37.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$27.79 NT$901
-16.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Douliu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$36.37 NT$1,179
85.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$9.54 NT$309
-2.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Douliu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$663 NT$21.5K
-19.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$17.0K NT$550.7K
-1.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Douliu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$64.5 NT$2,091
54.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$40.75 NT$1,321
6.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$85.0 NT$2,756
29.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$105 NT$3,408
13.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Douliu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$404 NT$13.1K
105.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$257 NT$8,334
141.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$982 NT$31.8K
62.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$730 NT$23.7K
60.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
$7,836 NT$254.1K
-25.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
$4,924 NT$159.7K
-21.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Douliu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
$2,544 NT$82.5K
-35.10%
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 Douliu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Douliu
$257 58.7% $365
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Douliu
$400 55% $142
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Douliu
$117 47.6% $106
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Douliu
$132 39.7% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Douliu
$133 20.7% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Douliu
$55 35.6% $31
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Douliu
$44 0.5% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $404 in Douliu. 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 54% higher in Douliu, 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 $22.00 in Douliu. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $400 in Douliu – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇹🇼 Douliu
🕒 Local time
03:27 3:27 AM
09:27 9:27 AM
6 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
108,401
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Douliu 8,900 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Douliu

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 Douliu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Douliu cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,707 in Douliu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Douliu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 27% less in Douliu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $663 in Douliu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Douliu?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Douliu, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Douliu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Douliu more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Douliu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Douliu?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Douliu. 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.

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