Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Jiaxing

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiaxing: $632 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Jiaxing
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Jiaxing Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Jiaxing

🇨🇳 China

$632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Jiaxing

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $632 in Jiaxing, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Jiaxing $632

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,070 in Jiaxing, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Jiaxing $1,070

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,507 in Jiaxing, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Jiaxing $1,507

Budapest costs about 156% more than Jiaxing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Jiaxing is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,517

$3.05 ¥20.38

357.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$22.17 ¥148

176.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,302

$4.41 ¥29.44

131.07%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,058

$3.03 ¥20.26

7.59%

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

$2.14 Ft 693

$0.48 ¥3.18

345.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 578

$0.29 ¥1.93

513.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,202

$0.78 ¥5.22

375.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,221

$2.27 ¥15.16

66.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 372

$1.90 ¥12.68

-39.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 579

$1.95 ¥13.05

-8.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 806

$0.59 ¥3.93

322.03%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,265

$1.92 ¥12.80

103.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,599

$7.45 ¥49.74

48.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,146

$3.31 ¥22.11

100.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,761

$7.51 ¥50.2

95.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 593

$1.60 ¥10.66

14.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 663

$1.14 ¥7.64

79.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 768

$0.93 ¥6.24

154.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,264

$0.68 ¥4.56

473.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 321

$0.59 ¥3.92

67.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 323

$0.87 ¥5.78

14.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 513

$0.50 ¥3.36

216.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 217

$0.55 ¥3.64

21.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,580

$5.13 ¥34.24

55.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,015

$11.85 ¥79.2

-47.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 412

$0.79 ¥5.26

60.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 657

$1.31 ¥8.76

54.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 492

$0.21 ¥1.40

623.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,082

$16.27 ¥109

72.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,073

$1.17 ¥7.79

182.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 444

$0.42 ¥2.82

226.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,427

$7.66 ¥51.2

158.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 590

$1.26 ¥8.39

44.44%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

$19.5K ¥130.6K

52.44%

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

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

$19.4K ¥129.8K

74.00%

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

$171 Ft 55.5K

$36.33 ¥243

371.02%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,620

$11.38 ¥76.0

106.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,550

$5.30 ¥35.44

339.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.9K

$37.96 ¥254

77.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,124

$7.30 ¥48.75

158.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,013

$5.15 ¥34.39

80.58%

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

$533 Ft 172.9K

$430 ¥2,874

23.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$12.6K ¥83.9K

33.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.3K

$35.13 ¥235

183.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.1K

$21.43 ¥143

102.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.8K

$63.5 ¥424

73.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$45.38 ¥303

162.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 269.2K

$282 ¥1,882

194.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 201.6K

$176 ¥1,178

252.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 516.5K

$743 ¥4,967

114.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 379.3K

$455 ¥3,037

157.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$3,818 ¥25.5K

52.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$2,051 ¥13.7K

89.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 535.2K

$737 ¥4,922

124.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.13

106.07%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Jiaxing: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Jiaxing

$176 27.9% 71.7% $446

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Jiaxing

$174 27.6% 32.4% $84

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Jiaxing

$86 13.5% 61.7% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Jiaxing

$53 8.4% 75.7% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Jiaxing

$74 11.8% 55.6% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Jiaxing

$48 7.6% 44% $38

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Jiaxing

$20 3.2% 53.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $282 in Jiaxing. 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 124% 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $22.00 in Jiaxing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $174 – making Jiaxing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇳 Jiaxing

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

15:10 3:10 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

3,563,700

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Jiaxing 8,340 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Budapest vs Jiaxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 156%, 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 $948 in Jiaxing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 72% less in Jiaxing. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $430 in Jiaxing. 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 Jiaxing, where all-in costs run around $632, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Jiaxing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jiaxing – 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 Jiaxing. 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.