Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kaifeng

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaifeng: $501 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kaifeng
Learn more

Kaifeng Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Kaifeng

🇨🇳 China

$501

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kaifeng

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $501 in Kaifeng, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Kaifeng $501

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $791 in Kaifeng, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Kaifeng $791

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,081 in Kaifeng, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Kaifeng $1,081

Budapest costs about 223% more than Kaifeng, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Kaifeng is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$1.77 ¥11.83

687.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$13.50 ¥90.3

353.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$4.15 ¥27.74

145.54%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.41 ¥16.12

35.27%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.38 ¥2.54

463.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.16 ¥1.06

1012.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$0.92 ¥6.12

303.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.61 ¥10.78

134.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.50 ¥10.03

-23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.52 ¥10.18

17.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.87 ¥5.79

186.21%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$0.90 ¥6.03

333.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$6.85 ¥45.78

62.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$2.36 ¥15.81

180.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$9.73 ¥65.0

50.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$0.83 ¥5.58

120.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.01 ¥6.75

102.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$0.60 ¥3.98

295.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.60 ¥4.03

550.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.62 ¥4.12

59.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.73 ¥4.88

36.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.21 ¥1.40

652.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.52 ¥3.48

28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.90 ¥19.39

174.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$14.76 ¥98.7

-57.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.99 ¥6.62

28.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.10 ¥14.05

-3.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.15 ¥0.98

913.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.17 ¥7.79

182.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.16 ¥1.08

756.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$3.58 ¥23.91

453.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.26 ¥8.40

44.44%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$19.0K ¥127.3K

56.52%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$15.0K ¥100.2K

125.63%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$45.41 ¥304

276.83%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$4.89 ¥32.70

380.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$5.17 ¥34.55

350.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$29.40 ¥197

129.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$10.52 ¥70.4

79.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$3.69 ¥24.65

152.03%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$382 ¥2,553

39.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$31.2K ¥208.6K

-46.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$43.28 ¥289

130.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$33.17 ¥222

31.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$72.1 ¥482

53.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$45.68 ¥305

160.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$120 ¥803

591.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$89.7 ¥600

593.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$225 ¥1,506

607.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$178 ¥1,192

556.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$577 ¥3,861

185.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.1

108.06%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kaifeng: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Kaifeng

$90 17.9% 85.6% $532

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Kaifeng

$164 32.7% 36.6% $94

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Kaifeng

$65 13.1% 70.6% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Kaifeng

$55 11.1% 74.5% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Kaifeng

$87 17.5% 47.8% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Kaifeng

$37 7.3% 57.3% $49

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Kaifeng

$2.6 * 0.5% 94.2% $42

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 $120 in Kaifeng. 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 186% 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 $14.00 in Kaifeng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $164 – making Kaifeng the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇳 Kaifeng

🕒 Local time

03:56 3:56 AM

09:56 9:56 AM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

4,676,159

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Kaifeng 7,600 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Kaifeng

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 Kaifeng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 223%, 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 $752 in Kaifeng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $14.00 in Kaifeng. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kaifeng, where all-in costs run around $501, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Kaifeng it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kaifeng – 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 Kaifeng. 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.