Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 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
144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Hong Kong

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Hong Kong $2,984

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $4,558 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Hong Kong $4,558

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $6,132 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Hong Kong $6,132

Budapest is about 46% cheaper than Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Hong Kong sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Hong Kong by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$8.46 HK$66.4

65.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$63.2 HK$496

-4.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$6.20 HK$48.66

60.65%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$4.90 HK$38.41

-31.02%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.27 HK$10.01

67.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$1.06 HK$8.31

76.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$7.68 HK$60.3

-51.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$6.28 HK$49.24

-43.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$2.86 HK$22.45

-60.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$2.43 HK$19.10

-24.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.18 HK$17.09

9.63%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$3.54 HK$27.80

8.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$25.12 HK$197

-54.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$8.89 HK$69.8

-24.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$17.63 HK$138

-16.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$4.11 HK$32.22

-55.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$2.72 HK$21.32

-26.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$4.59 HK$36.05

-48.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$4.02 HK$31.52

-6.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$3.25 HK$25.50

-70.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$3.27 HK$25.70

-68.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.60 HK$12.54

-2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$1.73 HK$13.56

-61.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$13.14 HK$103

-39.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$16.59 HK$130

-63.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$2.01 HK$15.80

-35.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$2.18 HK$17.13

-4.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$1.44 HK$11.31

4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$89.1 HK$699

-69.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$3.64 HK$28.53

-9.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$1.31 HK$10.29

-0.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$15.82 HK$124

25.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$4.06 HK$31.89

-55.42%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$44.4K HK$348.2K

-33.90%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$37.4K HK$293.2K

-8.72%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$247 HK$1,942

-31.33%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$15.89 HK$125

50.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$21.46 HK$168

9.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$91.4 HK$717

-27.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$9.08 HK$71.3

111.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$13.96 HK$110

-31.81%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$1,155 HK$9,067

-53.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$22.3K HK$174.6K

-25.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$68.9 HK$541

47.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$40.44 HK$317

6.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$79.9 HK$627

41.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$118 HK$923

0.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$2,180 HK$17.1K

-63.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$1,718 HK$13.5K

-63.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$5,047 HK$39.6K

-69.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$3,543 HK$27.8K

-67.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$29.1K HK$228.7K

-80.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$17.6K HK$137.9K

-77.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$3,228 HK$25.3K

-49.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.91

64.45%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5% 173% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Hong Kong

$415 13.9% 61% $157

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Hong Kong

$205 6.9% 8.5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Hong Kong

$285 9.5% 31% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Hong Kong

$138 4.6% 18.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Hong Kong

$119 4% 39.9% $34

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Hong Kong

$105 3.5% 142% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $2,180 in Hong Kong. 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 99% higher in Hong Kong, 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 $63.0 in Hong Kong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $415 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

10:52 10:52 AM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, 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).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.8 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Hong Kong 8,570 km ≈ 11 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 Hong Kong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hong Kong is pricier by about 84%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $4,476 in Hong Kong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 223% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $1,155 in Hong Kong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hong Kong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.