Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kunshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kunshan: $710 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Kunshan
Learn more

Kunshan Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Kunshan

🇨🇳 China

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kunshan

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $710 in Kunshan, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Kunshan $710

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,135 in Kunshan, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Kunshan $1,135

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,561 in Kunshan, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Kunshan $1,561

Budapest costs about 128% more than Kunshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Kunshan is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,570

$2.76 ¥18.47

406.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$21.37 ¥143

182.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,255

$4.78 ¥31.96

108.37%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,105

$3.03 ¥20.28

11.55%

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

$2.13 Ft 696

$0.46 ¥3.09

363.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 611

$0.29 ¥1.94

544.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,226

$0.94 ¥6.28

298.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,167

$2.14 ¥14.32

66.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 370

$1.85 ¥12.38

-38.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 602

$1.56 ¥10.43

17.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 780

$0.94 ¥6.29

154.26%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,250

$1.61 ¥10.78

137.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,702

$13.00 ¥86.9

-12.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,201

$3.24 ¥21.67

108.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,800

$10.38 ¥69.4

41.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 600

$1.81 ¥12.10

1.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 656

$1.19 ¥7.98

68.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 770

$1.48 ¥9.90

59.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,232

$1.09 ¥7.27

245.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 315

$0.70 ¥4.70

37.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 336

$0.98 ¥6.52

5.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 511

$0.56 ¥3.74

178.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 217

$0.51 ¥3.44

29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,602

$3.16 ¥21.15

151.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,963

$10.71 ¥71.6

-43.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 423

$0.74 ¥4.96

75.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 679

$1.59 ¥10.63

30.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 491

$0.27 ¥1.78

455.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 9,021

$17.00 ¥114

62.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,079

$1.41 ¥9.44

134.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 426

$0.33 ¥2.18

293.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,465

$6.75 ¥45.12

193.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 593

$1.18 ¥7.91

53.39%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

$19.8K ¥132.2K

48.23%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$17.4K ¥116.1K

96.26%

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

$170 Ft 55.5K

$44.30 ¥296

283.61%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,836

$9.92 ¥66.3

141.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,654

$11.65 ¥77.9

101.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$41.65 ¥278

59.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,266

$13.67 ¥91.4

40.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,112

$5.99 ¥40.04

58.93%

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

$537 Ft 175.4K

$331 ¥2,211

62.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$16.7K ¥111.6K

-0.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.1K

$42.98 ¥287

135.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$29.88 ¥200

43.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.8K

$72.0 ¥481

56.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.8K

$72.0 ¥481

64.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 263.1K

$273 ¥1,824

195.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 205.6K

$196 ¥1,310

220.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 506.3K

$601 ¥4,017

157.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 381.4K

$356 ¥2,376

228.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$3,052 ¥20.4K

84.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$2,029 ¥13.6K

95.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 531.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.89

65.30%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kunshan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Kunshan

$196 27.3% 68.8% $433

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Kunshan

$199 27.7% 22.7% $59

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Kunshan

$85 11.8% 62.2% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Kunshan

$66 9.2% 69.7% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Kunshan

$98 13.6% 42.3% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Kunshan

$54 7.5% 37.1% $32

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Kunshan

$21 2.9% 51.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $273 in Kunshan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest versus $21.00 in Kunshan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $199 – making Kunshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇳 Kunshan

🕒 Local time

10:39 10:39 AM

16:39 4:39 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

2,092,496

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.06 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 327 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.06 USD). 1 EUR = 366 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 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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Between locations

Budapest Kunshan 8,300 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 Kunshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 128%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,065 in Kunshan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 62% less in Kunshan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $331 in Kunshan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kunshan, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Kunshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kunshan – 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 Kunshan. 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.