Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Hua-lien

For one person, living is cheaper in Hua-lien: $1,076 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Hua-lien
Learn more

Hua-lien Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Hua-lien

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,076

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Hua-lien

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 Hua-lien actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,076 in Hua-lien, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Hua-lien $1,076

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,820 in Hua-lien, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Hua-lien $1,820

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,563 in Hua-lien, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Hua-lien $2,563

Budapest costs about 50% more than Hua-lien, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$3.99 NT$129

249.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$28.74 NT$932

113.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$4.28 NT$139

138.08%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.78 NT$90.3

17.27%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.93 NT$30.01

130.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.56 NT$18.18

217.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.33 NT$43.12

178.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.09 NT$67.6

80.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$2.93 NT$95.1

-60.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.76 NT$56.9

1.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$4.50 NT$146

-44.67%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.98 NT$64.1

96.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$19.63 NT$636

-43.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$6.20 NT$201

6.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$25.54 NT$828

-42.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.66 NT$86.3

-31.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.50 NT$80.9

-18.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$3.21 NT$104

-26.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$3.18 NT$103

22.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.43 NT$78.7

-59.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$2.30 NT$74.6

-56.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$2.02 NT$65.5

-21.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.98 NT$31.72

-31.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.88 NT$126

105.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$12.63 NT$410

-50.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.91 NT$62.1

-33.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.35 NT$76.1

-13.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.61 NT$19.64

149.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$36.66 NT$1,189

-23.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.08 NT$99.8

7.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.31 NT$9.91

341.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$10.36 NT$336

91.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.89 NT$28.98

104.49%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$33.7K NT$1.1M

-11.67%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$26.6K NT$862.6K

27.12%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$103 NT$3,332

66.52%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$19.48 NT$632

20.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$12.54 NT$407

85.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$36.61 NT$1,187

84.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$10.12 NT$328

-8.10%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$767 NT$24.9K

-30.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$16.4K NT$533.1K

1.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$57.1 NT$1,850

74.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$36.07 NT$1,170

20.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$79.5 NT$2,576

38.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$107 NT$3,455

11.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$404 NT$13.1K

105.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$253 NT$8,204

145.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$985 NT$31.9K

61.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$740 NT$24.0K

58.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$7,755 NT$251.5K

-24.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$4,989 NT$161.8K

-22.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$2,940 NT$95.3K

-43.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

2.13

202.82%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Hua-lien

$253 23.5% 59.3% $369

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Hua-lien

$368 34.2% 42.5% $110

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Hua-lien

$95 8.8% 57.4% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Hua-lien

$135 12.5% 38.2% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Hua-lien

$126 11.7% 25% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Hua-lien

$57 5.3% 34% $29

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Hua-lien

$44 4.1% 1.2% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $404 in Hua-lien. 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 78% higher in Hua-lien, 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 $29.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $368 in Hua-lien – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇼 Hua-lien

🕒 Local time

02:15 2:15 AM

08:15 8:15 AM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

105,034

💱 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 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).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Hua-lien 8,950 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Hua-lien

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 Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,615 in Hua-lien. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 31% less in Hua-lien. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $767 in Hua-lien. 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 Hua-lien, where all-in costs run around $1,076, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Hua-lien it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hua-lien – 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 Hua-lien. 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.